Of Lust and Hook Ups
by DCFanatic4life
Summary: Stephanie McMahon always gets what she wants and she always loves a challenge...Chris/Steph...*Completed*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters and real people in this story do not belong to me. The characters belong to WWE and the real people own themselves. This story contains swearing and adult situations, so if you're underage, keep on moving right along.

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**A/N: Okay, so this is a new one from me. Someone gave me a prompt to write on and so I did and this is what came out. It's going to be multi-chapter, I don't know how many chapters as I never really do with any of my stories, but it'll definitely be more than this one. Anyways, in this, there are no kids for both Chris and Stephanie, that's really the only thing you need to know to get it.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, it is rated M for a reason. Please leave a review, brutal or not, and let me know if I actually should continue this. Thanks. :)

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Lust.

It's such a simple looking word, four letters, but the meaning behind it is so much more profound. It's looks and touches and want and _need_. It's looking at someone and undressing them with your eyes and licking your lips in anticipation. It's whispering words in their ear when nobody's looking and then smirking when their cheeks flush ever so slightly. It's powerful and consuming and just plain fun when you get the chance to experience it.

When it came to the art of seduction, she was goddamn Van Gogh. And everyone else? Well they were the kind of artists that had their work displayed in hotel rooms. She was an artist. Was she a slut? No, she wasn't. She picked and chose carefully and always had. She was not some plaything to be passed around like some of the divas around here. They would flit between wrestlers, spreading their legs and hoping that having one top wrestler sticking it in them would mean a higher position with the company, it made her sick.

Stephanie McMahon was a master.

His eyes had been the first thing to draw her in, but they were probably the first thing anyone ever noticed about him. They were so piercingly blue they seemed to stare right through you like laser beams. They were enchanting and mysterious at the same time. It helped that he had other gorgeous features as well. He was definitely easy on the eyes, that was for sure. She licked her lips as she thought about his eyes.

The only problem was she hated his personality. If she could get the body without the attitude she'd be asking where to sign up for her own little Chris Irvine copy, but unfortunately the man was as stubborn as he was good-looking. Sure, she'd been the one to bring him back, but it had been under extreme duress. He wanted her to jump through hoops and Stephanie didn't jump through anyone's hoops so they'd been in a stalemate for a long time, neither side budging, that stubborn asshole.

Finally he'd agreed and she was pleased, but then he had to complain about every fucking thing. Maybe it was the fact he was going through a divorce that made him so cantankerous, she didn't know nor did she care. She had her own problems to worry about and didn't need him whining at her all the time. Now he was whining about how he was supposed to be in the big WrestleMania storyline. Usually he'd just go along with whatever plan was good for him, but this one seemed to stick in his craw. She really couldn't blame him too much though, she'd be pissed if she'd had something like that taken away from her, but he still didn't need to come barging into her office to tell her.

"Stephanie, we need to talk," he said as he walked in unannounced. He had a problem with that particular task and she'd have to remind him that doors were made for knocking and he needn't be so rude next time.

"What is it, Chris?" she asked.

"I've been trying to make a meeting with you, but your secretary keeps blowing me off," Chris said. "So I thought I'd just come to you directly."

"That's fine," she said, "what can I do for you?"

He looked great tonight. He wasn't dressed for the show yet so he was just in a t-shirt and jeans, but they hugged him in all the right places. She could imagine crawling towards him on the floor and unzipping his pants with her teeth. He probably wouldn't be too receptive to that just yet. She'd heard he'd been testing the dating waters out, whatever the hell that meant. Giving him a blowjob out of nowhere might be a little too forward for both their tastes. She had to get him to the point where he'd be begging for it.

"I wanted to discuss the radical change in our storyline," he told her. "Because the last time I attended a production meeting, I was told that I'd be feuding with Paul about beating you up. Also, why the hell, if you two are getting divorced, are you acting like you're married on the show?"

Well that was easy, she still had Paul wrapped around her little finger and this was his desperate attempt at keeping her. She let him have it because well, she did feel bad. She had loved him once upon a time, but Stephanie was prone to boredom and she'd more than put in enough time with Paul. She just wasn't in love with him anymore. There was someone better out there for her and she was sure that person was sitting right in front of her.

Did she think Chris was her soulmate? Absolutely not, soulmates were something Hallmark came up with to sell cards to unsuspecting fools. Did she think Chris would be great in bed? Hell yeah she did so fucking sue her if she wanted to get at him. She was pretty damn good herself so it wasn't like there would be no benefits for him. But all in due time, she wasn't the type to just throw herself at men. She left that to the other divas on the roster, especially the ones who had absolutely no shame and those girls knew exactly who they were.

"We want to do what's best for WrestleMania," Stephanie explained to him. "We like the Legacy thing so we wanted to give them a promotion of sorts. It just makes sense I suppose. You're a very cold, calculating heel and Randy's more demonstrative. We wanted demonstrative."

"That's bullshit and you know it," he fumed.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "We've got something good lined up for you. I mean, my father is keeping his cards close and won't really disclose who you're going to face, but--"

"Oh come on, Stephanie. What makes you think I want to fucking settle for some idiotic storyline involving the Hall of Famers? This isn't what I was told was going to happen," he told her.

Stephanie stopped and paused for a moment, as if she was thinking, but she was only thinking about how much she lusted after Chris and how she wanted Chris to lust after her, if he didn't already, because face it, she had to be desirable to a lot of people. She lifted her pen up to her mouth and stuck it in her mouth, biting on it a little, pretending to think about why he should settle for this storyline. It truly wasn't her fault things had changed, but he wasn't listening to reason at the moment.

Her tongue swirled around the tip of the pen and her mouth puckered the tiniest bit as she sucked on the pen a moment. Then she pulled it out of her mouth, a thin line of spit clinging to the writing instrument. She looked up at Chris and caught him staring at her mouth and she smirked inwardly. Typical. If she'd had a lollipop right now, she could've teased him even more, but she was pleased she had him staring at her.

"Well things change," Stephanie explained to him calmly, but her ire was rising and she could tell his was too. The swearing had been a big tip-off to that.

"We fucking set it up for months, _months_ between the two of us," Chris told her. "You were going to be a heel and join up with me against your father, I'm just not understanding how that was not a good plan here and how that had to change to me fucking calling out old men!"

"Look, my father has wanted to put me and Paul together for a really long time, of course, the divorce is complicating things," she said blithely, "but Paul went to my father and asked him for it."

"So the asshole gets his way again. Now that he's divorcing you, is he going to marry your father? I mean, seems like they are already since he still gets his fucking way all the time."

"Well what the hell do you want me to do about it, Chris?" Stephanie challenged. "Huh, do you just want me to change what we've already done? Do you just want me to fucking take all the scripts we've written, rip them up and just give _you_ your way? How is that any different from what Paul is doing?"

"Because you fucking told me this was what I'd be doing!" he yelled at her standing up and looking completely irate. "I'm sick and tired of that bastard, Paul, screwing up with my storylines. He's been doing it practically my entire career here and I'm fucking sick of it!"

"Well he's not my fucking responsibility," she told him, standing up as well. She wasn't going to give him the leverage. She did have to admit though, when he got angry like this, his eyes seemed to dance and his jaw set. His head was bowed a little so he could stare right into her eyes and, undaunted, she stared right back, wondering if her own eyes could dance like his were.

"You're the head of creative, of course it's your responsibility or is that just a vanity title while you sit here looking all prim and nice and prissy like the little bitch you are!"

"How dare you call me a bitch!" Stephanie told him. That she didn't stand for. She wasn't a bitch. "I'm just doing my fucking job and yes, I have a job around here, yes, I am head of creative, but does that give me more power than my father, hmm…let me think about that for a second, _no_! If he wants something, I have no choice but to listen to what he wants, okay?"

"Change it back, make up something, you're really good at coming up with shitty explanations for things."

"That's enough!" Stephanie said, slamming her hands down on the desk in front of her.

"I want my storyline back!" Chris equaled her volume and her pounding on the desk by slamming his own hands on her desk. He leaned forward too until they were inches apart and staring into each other's heated faces, both flushed with anger and their breaths were short and slightly panting from the fury pulsing through their veins.

"You will do what you're told, _Jericho_," she said derisively, stripping him of his real identity and calling him by his character's name as if that could be seen as something beneath him. "And you will _like_ doing what you're told. I did not control this goddamn storyline and if you even insinuate again that I am a bitch, I will suspend you until WrestleMania and then someone isn't going to get his huge bonus."

"I. Don't. Give. A. Shit. What. You. Say," he told her slowly so she could pick up all the words. "I want my storyline back. I hate this fucking thing with the Hall of Famers."

They stared at each other with more vitriol and neither one said a word and neither one backed down. She wanted to move her eyes to his lips, but she didn't dare break his stare. If she broke his stare, he won and she wasn't about to let him win. So they stared in each other's eyes, blue on blue, and there might as well have been lasers shooting from both because the stares were burning into their psyche. They were both so strong-willed then she wondered what he'd do if she just leaned forward and kissed him. Would he pull back in shock or would he pull her across this desk and rip her shirt open? She was almost tempted to find out.

A knock sounded at the door and broke their moment. They both sat down slowly, their eyes never leaving the other. This visual tug-of-war continued and Stephanie looked straight at Chris while she called, "It's open."

"Stephanie?" Shane said, looking between her and Chris. He could feel the tension in the room.

"I'm busy, Shane, is it urgent?" she asked, still looking at Chris.

"Um, well, Dad wanted a meeting after the show, so if you're free…"

"I'm free, tell him I'll be there," she told him, her eyes still not diverting away from Chris's.

"Everything okay in here?" Shane wondered.

"Chris and I are just discussing his creative direction, that's all," Stephanie responded calmly. Chris was sucking at his teeth, his eyes focused on Stephanie, though every now and then, they'd wandered down again and to her mouth. She could tell he was still fascinated with her lips.

"Okay," Shane said, but he wasn't convinced that was all. He slowly slipped out the door and left the two in silence once again.

"Well, I've said everything there is to say, so you're free to leave," she told him.

"No," he told her. "I'm going to attend that meeting with you and I'm going to discuss this with your father."

"Oh yes, because of all the people who have been trying to get him to decide on things, _you're_ the one who's going to get him to crack, yes, Chris, I believe that," she told him with a scoff. "Believe me, I'm not happy with this storyline either."

Chris leaned forward a little, his voice lowering as he stared at her, "So why don't you change it?"

"Can't, what my father says goes," Stephanie said. "He wants me with Paul, at least for now, I have to go with Paul, that's how it goes I guess."

"I see," Chris said, "and what do you want? Do you want to work with me? I thought we were having a good time setting this up."

"Unlike you, Chris, I do what I'm told to do," Stephanie said. "If you want to think it was a good time, I'm not going to stop you from thinking it."

Of course she'd had a good time. Chris was absolutely divine to look at it, how could she not have a good time? Of course, after all was said and done, the whores who they called divas would be throwing themselves at him, telling him how great he was, begging him to teach them how to cut a promo as well as he did and she would want to vomit everything she'd eaten for the past few days, but when it was just them on-screen, yes, it was definitely fun.

"Okay, well, I did," he told her, smoldering eyes on her skin.

"Let me show you out," Stephanie said, standing up and walking towards the door. Chris got up reluctantly. He was glaring at her the entire time. This man could be so infuriating sometimes, but God, she wanted him. If she wasn't mistaken, it seemed he wanted her too, though he wasn't going to admit it right now. She'd get him to admit it soon enough. No use in rushing.

"I'm still coming to this meeting later on, I want to talk with your dad," Chris told her.

"That's fine, if you want, but I hardly think he's going to change his mind now," Stephanie told him. "He's pretty set on what's going to happen so I think you'd better get used to beating up on old men."

"We'll see."

He stood there for a moment and he seemed to loom over her. She stood up straighter and stared at him again. Their eyes were meeting again and she saw his tongue moving against his lips inside his mouth. She went a little daring and just barely licked her own lips, her tongue just darting out of her mouth at the corner and then retreating back inside. She didn't know if he caught it, but he just continued to stand there.

"Well, are you leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm leaving, but this isn't over. I'm not going to get screwed over, Stephanie. I'm just not going to get screwed over this time, especially not from the likes of Paul," Chris said, then left, leaving Stephanie to herself again. Instead of being screwed over maybe he'd just liked to be screwed by her.

She'd see.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, thank you all so much for the reviews, I'm so pleased that you like this story. I think I started and finished that first chapter like 5 times before I was satisfied so I'm so happy to see that people actually liked it and I hope they like this one as well and please leave a review, even just a small one to let me know you've read and liked/hated the chapter. Enjoy. :)

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When he finally left, she felt like she could breathe. There was something in the way he looked at her that nearly set her panties on fire. That had been as intense an argument as she'd had in a long time and she felt like fanning her face afterwards. She was convinced that the sex between her and Chris would be absolutely incredible if they could bring that fire into the bedroom…

Or her office…

Or her car…

Or anywhere really.

She was willing to take him anywhere he wanted; she'd allow him that. She didn't want to completely control him or anything, that wasn't her style. She wasn't some weirdo dominatrix with a complex. Did she know what she liked and disliked in the bedroom? Of course she did, but she was always open to new possibilities and after being stuck under Paul for the last few years she was ready to branch out and see what else was out there.

The first place she wanted to look was in Chris's pants.

The room seemed to sizzle with their electricity and she could feel the dampness from sweat and other fluids all over her already. She wanted to ease Chris into this, wanted to make sure if she got him that it stuck. Beyond the obvious lust she experienced over Chris, there was always the need for something more. One could not really have a sex-only relationship, there needed to be something more. Feelings always developed when there was sex involved, that's just how it worked out.

The door opened and Beth Phoenix walked in. Stephanie liked Beth. She had a spirit about her that none of the other divas had. She and Stephanie got along well because they had like personalities. If people thought Beth was tough in the ring, they'd definitely never met her outside of the ring. She was seemingly the only diva who took any of this dead seriously. The other ones were constantly out partying it up instead of honing their craft, but not Beth. Beth was working out, getting better, and for that she had Stephanie's utmost respect.

"Hey, Beth," Stephanie said, leaning back in her chair.

"I heard shouting in here, what the hell was going on?" Beth asked as she sat down.

"Chris Irvine came to talk to me, actually it was more like complaining. He was pissed because his match got changed, but it wasn't my fault. He decided to call me names for good measure."

"Jackass," Beth spat. "It wasn't your idea not to include him."

"Whatever," Stephanie said, bouncing her chair back and forth as she thought. "Do you know if he has a girlfriend? I know he's going through a divorce or whatever, but do you know if he has a girlfriend?"

Beth looked intrigued and stared up at Stephanie. She had a small smirk on her face as if she was thinking. "What's on your mind, Stephanie?"

"I just find him attractive is all. It would be a shame if he were taken by some bimbo who wouldn't know how to appreciate his…finer assets," she explained. "You have your pulse on the company I'm assuming or you can if you wanted to. You work with Anthony and word has it that he's quite the gossip."

"I could ask if you wanted. I don't know if he's dating anyone, if he is he's keeping it pretty quiet because I never see him with any women around here," Beth said, trying to think about times she had seen Chris. He was usually hanging out with guys, never girls, but that meant nothing.

"Find that out for me," Stephanie said. "I just want to know what I'm up against, although whoever it is, I'm sure she's nothing I can't step over to get what I want."

"You're a bitch, you know that," Beth told her.

"The best kind and if I want to get Chris, there's nothing that says I can't have him. The man isn't married anymore and that means he's fair game. That's how it is. If there's some other girl who thinks she's going to catch his eye, she better think again."

"Well I'm glad I'm married so you don't have to worry about me," Beth said. "I'm out of here, the show is nearly over. You leaving soon?"

"Nah, I've got a meeting after the show, of which Chris will be at."

"Interesting," Beth said. She knew Stephanie had something up her sleeve. Ever since she'd broken up with Paul she was letting this other side out. It was like being with Paul had repressed her and now she was coming out of her shell again.

"I plan on making it interesting."

What she didn't plan on was Paul being at the meeting too. She'd walked to the designated conference room and had met Paul at the door. She groaned inwardly at the sight of him. She was hoping to go one night where she wouldn't have to see him or talk to him or be around him, but she supposed it wasn't meant to be. He looked at her adoringly and she wanted to just get these pleasantries over with now.

"Hey, Steph," he said and he was like a lovesick puppy and though she would never, ever kick a real puppy, she would gladly kick Paul to get him away from her.

"Hello, Paul," she said, pushing the door open and practically smacking him in the face.

Chris was already there so he must've told her father that he was going to sit in on the meeting. The chair next to him was empty and she knew that it was the one seat she was going to take, but she had to make it look accidental or at least fake enough that he wouldn't think she was deliberately trying to sit next to him. He might get suspicious if she just automatically chose the seat next to him. She had to be more subtle than that.

Paul ended up helping her out for once when he took one of the only chairs left in the room. She would've throttled him had he taken the seat next to Chris's, but luckily for his throat, he didn't and took another seat. She looked at the seat in consternation for a second, pretending like she was actually going to sit there. She sighed slightly before she just took the seat next to Chris. She looked over at him, glared a little and then turned away from him.

"I told you I'd be here," he whispered to her.

"Did I question that you would?" she asked, turning to face him. She could already feel Paul's eyes on her, but let him stare. She was no longer his to bitch about. Every fucking guy that ever interacted with her was something to be stared at and studied to him, just in case the guy wanted to fuck her. He never took into consideration that she didn't _want_ to fuck any of those guys. God forbid he trust his wife. She was so glad to be rid of him.

"I'm just saying," he told her.

"I take you as a man of your word," Stephanie told him, "but don't expect to get anything changed while you're here. My father is going to do what he wants and he wants Randy in the storyline, not you, so instead of acting like a little baby, why don't you act like a grown man who has been given a job and do it."

"I want to do the original job," Chris said, his voice low.

"Sometimes people should just do the job they're given and stop bitching about it," she told him. Would every conversation they ever have devolve into some kind of argument? It was actually very fun to argue with him, even if he was the most frustrating man in the universe.

"I have every right to bitch."

"Do you know how many people would _kill_ to be in the position you are? Getting a huge feud heading into WrestleMania? Do you, Chris? I don't think you do."

"I don't give a shit, I've _earned_ my way into the main event and you can't even deny me that," Chris told her. "I want what's rightfully mine and I'm not going to stop until I get what I want."

She wasn't going to stop until _she_ got what she wanted. "Fine, but I'm telling you right now it's not going to work in your favor and you're going to be stuck with what you have now and look like a whiny, little bitch while you're at it."

"Then we can hang out because you're a little bitch too."

"Chris, Stephanie, is there anything you'd like to share with the rest of us?" Vince asked as he looked at the two of them. His daughter and employee were nearly nose-to-nose in some kind of heated, but low argument. Their words were soft enough that nobody could clearly make them out, but what they saw was clearly not friendly banter.

"Nothing, Vince," Stephanie told her father, referring to him by his name while they were doing business. "I'm sorry to have interrupted the meeting."

"Yes, sorry, Vince, it won't happen again."

"I was just discussing WrestleMania with Chris and how fortunate he is to be in such a high profile feud, but I don't think he's very happy with what he's got, are you, Chris?" Stephanie asked, throwing him into the limelight. Yes, this was extremely fun to do to him, put him on the spot. Even if she wanted to fuck his brains out, he was such a jackass that watching him get his comeuppance every once in a while turned her on.

Chris stared at her for a long moment, hating that she made everyone draw their attention to him. "Actually, yeah, Vince, I was just hoping to discuss why you felt the need to change the storyline at the last moment. Stephanie and I had been building something of a repertoire the last few months and to suddenly have that change, I don't know, I just felt like it was rushed and I'm really not feeling this storyline I have with the legends."

"Give it some time, Chris, I'm sure you'll ease into it. Paul brought up a good point when he said that there was a history between him and Randy from Evolution and I've wanted Paul and Stephanie together on-screen, although not under these circumstances."

"We're working on it," Paul interjected.

Stephanie looked at him, _working on it_? There was no way she was working on anything with Paul. She was working on nothing with Paul, nothing at all. There was absolutely nothing to work out. She'd left him and she was happy and what the hell was he trying to do! He looked over at her and gave her a hopeful smile and she realized what he was doing. He was trying to coerce her into agreeing in front of her father so she'd have to agree to talk to him or go out with him or whatever the hell it was he wanted to do.

"Are you two?" Vince asked, looking at his daughter.

"I think this is neither the time nor the place to be discussing my personal life," Stephanie exposited. "I think that this should strictly be a meeting for upcoming storylines. Now, Chris, you heard what my dad said so I don't think we'll be changing it."

"I don't like it, Vince. I was told one thing and now I'm being pulled. Paul and I have plenty of history, _Stephanie_ and I have plenty of history."

"But have people see that history before, we've had you two at WrestleMania before, you know."

"Well, that didn't exactly go as planned either," Chris said. Stephanie thought back to a meeting long ago where Chris had proposed they have an on-screen affair. Right now she would've jumped at the chance to pretend to have sex with him. It'd certainly parlay itself into actual sex a lot easier.

"We'll discuss this afterwards, Chris," Vince said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Vince," Chris shot a smug look at Stephanie, but she knew her father and she'd convince Chris to take the legends storyline.

Chris zoned out for the rest of the meeting, but Stephanie was on high alert. She was taking notes of what her father said and she decided it was time to strike. She started playing with her pen, acting like she wasn't even thinking about it. Then she dropped said pen at just the right angle so it landed right near Chris's feet. She looked down at it and then at Chris, but he wasn't going to pick it up for her. She was happy for that though, sometimes his jackass behavior actually came in handy, fancy that.

She bent down and over, her head just brushing his knee and started "feeling around" for her pen. She found it between his feet and she grabbed it, brushing her hand over his leg as she pulled up. She turned her head just as it was hovering over his crotch and looked up at him, not with an enticing look or anything, but with a look of sheer embarrassment that she found herself in such a naughty position. She bit her lip and held up her pen, shrugging that she had dropped it. Chris rolled his eyes at her.

"Watch where you drop things," he told her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," she said. She was fairly sure her long hair had brushed over his crotch and she wondered if he could feel that through his jeans. She hoped he had. She sat up, pretending to get back to her notes when she felt Paul's eyes still on her. She looked up at him and gave him a dirty look, hoping he'd interpret it as such, but he just kept staring.

When the meeting was over, she sat in her seat as Chris went up to talk to Vince. She wanted to stay and hear what was going on. She was about to start eavesdropping when Paul knelt next to her chair and she could feel his breath on her bare arm. She was going to kill this man. She turned to him and gave him another dirty look.

"What do you want?"

"Can we talk?"

"I'm busy."

"Please," he said and she wasn't callous so she stood up. She'd just have to try and listen while Paul was talking. He stood in front of her just outside the door and sighed. "Steph, this storyline is going to be hard enough as it is, but I want it…I was hoping that it would bring that closeness back to us."

"What closeness?" she said. "There is nothing between us any longer."

"That can't be true."

"This is business, Paul, that's it, business."

Now Chris was fuming and leaving and Paul was keeping her and she wanted to leave. "Stephanie, please."

"Look, I'll think about it or whatever, just, I have to go," she said, rushing off and leaving him behind. She'd deal with him later. She jogged to catch up with Chris and walked next to him. "Where's the fire, Chris?"

"Shut up," he said. "Your father's not changing it."

"I told you so," she said. He looked genuinely upset and she grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked at her in annoyance. She knew it pained him that she was right. He'd been so sure and now he was shot down and he probably felt like an ass and while she did think his attitude needed serious tweaking, she was human after all and she did like him, well, certain parts of him and she felt compelled to reassure the whole of him that contained those parts she liked. "Look, this is one feud…"

"WrestleMania feud, biggest of the year."

"Maybe, but not for everyone," she told, pulling herself closer to him. "Is there any other reason it bothers you?"

"No reason, it just does," he said, not realizing how close she actually was and Stephanie started to ease her grip on his arm, but in such a way that she was actually caressing his arm gently.

"Look, maybe I'll talk to my father and see if we can get you something great afterwards, I'm not above helping my talent, you know," she told him. She bit her lip and watched as he studied her face, probably to see if she was lying. "You have my word on that."

"Why would you help me?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm the head of creative, it's what I do."

She didn't know if he believed that, but he seemed to take it for face value, "Thanks."

"You're very welcome."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews, I'm so happy you like this. Please continue to leave reviews, they're awesome. :)

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Stephanie stared at Chris as he sat in catering. She was in catering too, but they were separated by three or four tables. He was surrounded by people, par for the course. He was popular, but she shouldn't be surprised. He had one of those personalities. A personality that she didn't possess. She'd never been one for popularity, but it seemed the Chris liked to be popular. He had a smile on his face right now and he looked content.

She liked his smile. It always reached his eyes, those sparkling blue eyes. She'd love to be staring up into those eyes as she pressed her hands on his thighs, the floor just below her knees. She'd wink up at him and he'd give her that smile because well, she was good at sucking so there'd be nothing but smiles coming from his handsome face.

Beth slid into a seat next to Stephanie and followed her gaze, "Be any more obvious, Stephanie."

"I'm not obvious," she said, turning to her friend, "I'm just observing."

"Yeah, observing, sure," Beth said.

Stephanie chuckled and rolled her eyes, "I'm not doing anything, I'm sitting here enjoying my meal and I happen to look up and there he is. What do you think he's like in bed?"

Beth looked over at Chris. He was just chewing on what appeared to be some spaghetti. He was sucking up the end of a noodle as it slurped into his mouth, a laugh on his lips as well as a touch of spaghetti sauce. "He's definitely good-looking, I'll give him that."

"But you don't think he's good in bed?"

"I'm sure he's good in bed," Beth said, appraising the man in front of her. "He's not exactly my type, but I'm sure he's good in bed."

"Not your type? Are you crazy or something?" Stephanie scoffed. "I bet he knows exactly what he's doing in the bedroom. Just look at him, look at the way he moves in the ring, the man knows what he's doing. He must transfer that to the bedroom."

"You've got it bad."

"I like a challenge," Stephanie said. "I don't think he likes me that much. That just makes him even hotter to me."

She could imagine it right now. He would be arguing with her and the tension would ratchet up the temperature in the room. He'd be in her face, beads of sweat forming on his forehead from the force of his temper. She'd be staring him down, her own face heated, her ears burning as she glared at him. Then the resistance, the resistance they held onto this entire time would most certainly tumble down into a mass of chemistry and ultimately clothes. He'd push her roughly against whatever surface was closest and the rush between her legs would be so fierce that her back wouldn't mind the rude interruption to its relative peace.

"Earth to Stephanie."

Stephanie sighed away from her daydream and went to look back at Chris, but he was gone, "Where did he go?"

"Barbie, the girl who thinks MENSA has something to do with menopause, just spilled fruit punch of all things all over Chris's shirt."

"He was wearing a white shirt," Stephanie said, aghast that Barbie could be so stupid. His nice shirt that he had been so careful about. He was even wearing a napkin tucked into it to not spill sauce and that bimbo had to spill on him. She couldn't believe, wait, maybe she could work this to her advantage. "I'll be seeing you, Beth."

"Where are you going?"

"To check up on my talent, where else?" Stephanie winked at her.

She walked down the hallway, wondering where Chris's locker room was for the evening. She didn't have to search far because Barbie was standing in front of him, looking fearful and apologetic. She was currently talking animatedly with Chris's door. As she stepped closer, Stephanie could hear the apologies and pleads for forgiveness from the blonde. There was nothing coming from Chris's side of the door.

"Chris, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I'm so sorry!" Barbie said, her voice rising the more and more upset she got.

Stephanie feigned innocence as she stepped up to the blonde. She had a few inches on her, but even if she didn't, she created an intimidating presence that even someone like Barbie took notice. "What's going on here?"

"I was having some punch and I just kind of spilled it and it went all over his shirt and I'm _so_ sorry for it. I didn't mean to, I really didn't."

Stephanie wanted to pet her on the head and tell her that everything would be okay. "Has he said anything?"

"No. He's like not talking at all."

"I'll talk to him, after all, I'm in charge around here and if anyone can help, I think I could be the one."

"Really?" Kelly said. "I'd be so grateful, thank you _so_ much. I really do like Chris, he's a very nice guy. He's nothing like his character and that's so freaking awesome that he can play someone so mean so well."

"You like him?" Stephanie asked. That was the only thing that registered in her mind, the rest of it sounded like an adult from a _Peanuts _cartoon, all wa-wa-wa-wa and background noise. She was more interested in just how much this girl liked Chris. Not that she couldn't just push this girl out of the way. She'd just tell Barbie that there was a dog outside the arena and the poor simpleton would run around looking for it until she wore herself out.

"Yeah, he's cool," she said, smiling and nodding her head eagerly.

"Like, you _like_ him?" Stephanie asked, pretending like she was just one of Barbie's little school friends, like she was hanging off of her every word. Stephanie figured Barbie was one of those popular girls who didn't realize that every other girl talked shit behind her back.

"Well, yeah," Barbie admitted, her shoulders hunching up a little in embarrassment.

"Wow, I never would've figured."

"I know, right, he's like…I don't know, so cool," Barbie nodded.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to talk to him now, but don't worry, I won't try to steal him," Stephanie said with a sarcastic giggle that Barbie didn't pick up on. Besides, Stephanie couldn't steal what wasn't Barbie's in the first place and if Chris even had any interest in the girl, she'd fuck the idea out of him.

She stepped in the locker room and didn't see Chris, but she could hear the water running in the bathroom. He must be trying to clean off his shirt. She walked straight over to the bathroom and opened the door. Much to her surprise and utter delight, Chris was only in his boxers. She resisted the urge to lick her lips, pull down those boxers and wrap her warm, wet mouth around him. This was no time for that.

"Stephanie! What the hell?" Chris asked, looking over at her.

"Sorry," she said, but didn't mean it. She was not sorry at all, not from the view she had right now. "But you've got a poor, little blonde girl standing outside your door begging for your forgiveness."

"She can shove her apologies up her ass," Chris said. "She ruined my shirt."

Stephanie smirked inwardly. Seems the feelings Barbie had were not returned. Point for her. "That's really too bad." She took up his shirt and looked at it. Yup, ruined. "Do you have another shirt?"

"Yeah, I do," Chris said, "thank God, because I've got a promo and I can't go out there without a shirt."

"Of course you could, it'd be a fashion choice," she told him, raising an eyebrow. He looked at her. Then he sighed and looked down at his chest. She only now realized he was wiping at it with a paper towel. "What are you doing?"

"Well, fruit punch goes through shirts and now my skin is sticky," Chris said. "I'm going to have to take a fucking shower."

Stephanie looked in his eyes, then down at his chest. She reached out and ran her index finger down the sticky part of his chest. He stared at her as she did this then stared down at his chest where her finger was going agonizingly slow. His skin was warm to the touch and tough, but pliant, smooth too. She traced her finger against his skin and then pulled it away.

"Sticky," she told him, her voice husky and deeper than usual.

"I should probably take a shower," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He sounded like he had to choke it out as well. He took a deep breath, a calming one, she could tell. She'd made enough men take a deep breath like that to know what it was all about. She was getting what she wanted. Poor Barbie, she didn't even stand a chance.

"You know," Stephanie said, "Barbie has a crush on you."

He gulped, "Yeah?"

"Uh huh," Stephanie said, coyly, tossing her hair out of her face with a flick of her head. "She's kind of sweet, dumb as a rock, but sweet, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't know," he told her, "I don't really hang out with her."

"Oh, that's too bad, she not your type?"

"Not really," he said, staring at her neck like he wanted to suck her blood like a vampire.

"Too bad for her," Stephanie shrugged. "Better take a shower before the show starts."

"Yeah, I better," he told her. He took another deep breath and she wondered if he was trying to keep himself from being aroused. Perhaps reaching out and seeing for herself would be the best course of action. All she had to do was reach inside his boxers. They were right there, beckoning her, just reach inside, give him a few strokes and make sure that he was aroused. He'd gasp and kiss her. She could picture it right now, just reach over.

"Yeah, you better," she said, her hand staying by her side. She wanted Chris to _need_ her. She wasn't sure he was at that point yet and she wanted him completely craving her, craving her so much that he would explode without her. Then she'd give him what he so desperately wanted and she'd be triumphant.

"Yeah," he repeated.

"You seem at a loss for words, everything okay?" she asked, pretending to not know what was going on in his head. She could pretty much see what he wanted in his eyes. He wanted to tear her blouse open and grope her. At least that was what she wanted him to do.

"Fine, just fine," he said.

"Okay, I'll let you get to that shower now. Don't let the water get too hot, wouldn't want you to get too hot."

"Wouldn't want that," he echoed. Oh, the poor man, he was going to be so easy and Stephanie would look forward to conquering. She could see the slightest twitch of his hand, like it wanted to grab her around the waist and pull her towards him. She gazed down at his hand and it stopped its clenching.

"Uh uh," she told him, then brought her finger up to her mouth and sucked off the finger she'd used to run down his chest. Her lips languidly circled around her finger as her cheeks collapsed in a little as she suctioned her index finger. She pulled it out of her mouth, giving one last lick, her tongue coming to a point, like a snake. "Wouldn't want that sticky fruit punch all over my things."

Chris stood there, his eyes riveted to her hand. "Shower…"

"Yes, shower, warm, wet, shower," she teased. "I'll see you later, Chris."

She left him then, though it was very tempting to strip down and hop in the shower with him. That would show him how much she wanted him. She left the room altogether and saw Barbie still leaning against the wall. Stephanie was going to tell her that Chris wasn't interested, but then an idea formed in her mind, like a mist settling over her senses and she smiled at the younger, naïve woman…or girl, whichever.

"Did you talk to him?" Barbie asked.

"Yeah, I did, he's not mad," Stephanie said and then added, "And you know what?"

"What?" she asked.

"I really think he likes you."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks again so much for the reviews, I'm so happy you guys like this so much. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well and on another subject, I got myself a Twitter account so you can follow all my inane ramblings about writing. It's under DCFanatic4life. Go check out my boring life! :P If you don't want to do that, just review and I'll be happy. :)

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When Stephanie saw Barbie the next week, the girl had a certain glow to her. She'd decided to refer to Barbie as a girl because Stephanie didn't think she really deserved to be called a woman. Stephanie was a woman, Stephanie was all _woman_. She had curves to spare and was just sophisticated and mature and Barbie was immature and when she'd walked past the giggling girl not twenty minutes before, it just confirmed what she thought, Barbie was an idiot, a sweet, kind idiot, but still, an idiot.

She'd been giggling along with a couple of the other divas and Stephanie overheard her talking about Chris. She hadn't stayed to hear it all, but from the looks of it, Barbie seemed to be excited about something. Stephanie could only wonder what had the girl in a tizzy. Oh yes, it was probably the lie she had told the girl last week. A whole week had passed and still Barbie was hung up on it. Oh, she couldn't wait to see how this went.

It wasn't like she was being terrible or anything. Sure, she was giving Barbie the wrong impression, but sometimes in life, people told you lies and when that happened, you just figured the truth out and moved on. She preferred to look at this more like a little test for Chris. Or maybe a little fun for her. She wanted to see how Chris would react to this, having Barbie coming at him from one side and having her coming at him from another. Was she trying to make him choose between her and Barbie? Of course not, Stephanie didn't want to see that little girl totally crushed, but it would be interesting to see Chris's reaction to this.

"I think he totally likes me!" That's what she'd heard and with such an air of excitement to her young voice.

Stephanie wasn't the kind of person who threw her head back and laughed, but it seemed almost necessary at this moment so she threw it back just the tiniest bit and then laughed. That felt good. She wondered what her future lover was doing right now, but she would leave him be for the moment. She didn't want to seem too eager or anything. Better to let him come to her so she didn't come off as desperate as she was sure Barbie was going to do.

So she let herself go to her office and attempt to do work, but it was difficult. There was a world beyond that door and she kept looking at the thing separating her from it. Was work really that important? She was looking over storylines that were three weeks away, surely she'd have other times in which to look over these documents. Her father wanted them right away, but her father was fickle and she knew he would end up changing everything a thousand times before deciding, right before the show, what was, in fact, the best way to approach the storylines. It was a wonder she had any work at all with her father commandeering everything.

She'd had enough of this silliness and she pushed her chair away from the confinement of the desk, lifting herself up and walking towards the door. She'd set a plan in motion last week and if she couldn't enjoy the fruits of her labor, what was the point? She would go find Barbie talk to her about it or go find Chris and wonder what was up and she would take an active role in this little game she had set in motion, yes, she would most definitely take the active role.

Barbie first.

Stephanie sought out the blonde, but made it seem like she wasn't. She simply wandered around with a keen eye, not wanting to seem too eager, but just looking casual in her leisurely glide around the arena. She finally spotted Barbie sitting down and getting her hair done, a luxury afforded for anyone around here who wanted it. Stephanie walked up to the area and smiled as she sat down next to Barbie.

"Hey, Barbie," Stephanie said as she told Melissa, the hair dresser that she just needed a little hairspray and she wouldn't need any assistance. In fact, Stephanie's hair looked fine, but she couldn't look as if she was actually looking for and wanted to talk to Barbie Blank. If ever a name were more appropriate for a person it was Barbie Blank, both of them fitting adjectives for the girl in front of her.

"Hey, Stephanie," she said brightly as her hair was combed out. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she said, leaning back in her chair, her back hitting the cold metal. "Do you know what you're doing on the show tonight?"

"I just have a match," Barbie told her. "That should be fun."

"I'm sure it should," Stephanie nodded. "So anything happening on the Chris Irvine front?" She couldn't beat around the bush, it just wasn't her style.

"I'm thinking about talking to him and getting him to ask me out," Barbie said, barely able to contain her giddiness. She was sitting with her hands clenched between her legs and she giggled madly and shrugged her shoulders. "Thank you _so_ much for telling me that he liked me, I mean, I know that it wasn't like definite positive or anything like that, but just knowing that maybe, sorta, he _could_, you'll never know how much that means, oh my God, he's so cute, isn't he?"

Stephanie wouldn't use _cute_ as the first word to describe Chris. It felt so…inadequate to the finer points of his being. He wasn't just cute. Cute was something you reserved for people of lesser quality, people you thought were average, but not Chris. Chris was bordering on a word that hadn't been invented yet, but this poor simpleton thought him _cute_. For that alone Stephanie should've smacked her upside the head, hopefully jangling some of her nerve endings together.

"He's very handsome," she said nonchalantly, ignoring the burning in her stomach whenever she thought about the things she could and would be doing with Chris shortly. She licked her lips as she thought these particularly dirty thoughts. Stephanie didn't think Barbie was capable of a dirty thought. Maybe when she thought of Chris they were sharing fluffy cotton candy while they rode around on their unicorns through Delusional Land because that was the only place Barbie even had a shot of snagging Chris.

"Oh, yeah, handsome, totally," Barbie said.

"So you're going to talk to him then?"

"I've been sending him texts," Barbie explained. "You know, just short ones, just to tease him a little bit."

Teasing through texts? Well, she guessed that could work, but she preferred direct contact, being able to see the other person's eyes as they dilated with lust and need, to hear their ragged breath as they tried to take in oxygen. But words could be powerful too and what better way to get someone to want you than to text them over their phone where they could skim the words and then delete the message altogether? Of course that was the sure course of action, silly her for thinking otherwise.

"I bet that he is completely at your mercy then," Stephanie told her with a soft giggle of what to her was sarcasm, but what was to Barbie a sign of camaraderie of the female race.

"I hope he wants to go out with me, that would be the best!"

"It would, wouldn't it?"

"We both live in Tampa so we could see each other _all_ the time, how cool would that be?"

Oh, she was sure Chris found the thought of seeing Barbie not just some of the time, but _all_ the time to be a completely wonderful venture. If he didn't get the hell out of Tampa first. "Pretty darn cool."

"He's just so cute and he's such a good wrestler, not that it really matters because whatever, right, but he's so hot."

Wrestling mattered to her, it was only her livelihood and Barbie's as well, "Yeah."

"Yeah," Barbie said dreamily and Stephanie was sure she was back to cotton candy and unicorns. "Maybe I'll text him again."

"Maybe you should," Stephanie said, then decided it would definitely be the perfect time to go find Chris. "Well, have fun."

"Thanks, Stephanie," Barbie said, just as brightly as she had in greeting.

Stephanie stood up and started walking again, this time looking for Chris. Her gait was decidedly quicker because she actually liked talking to Chris, who wasn't as shallow and vapid as Barbie was proving herself to be. He was in catering, looking at his phone and she grinned at the delicious set-up she had been given. Sometimes, though she didn't quite readily believe in His existence, God could give her a little nugget of pure joy to chew on for a while.

Stephanie, straightening her jacket, walked up behind Chris, her heels clicking on the floor and alerting the man of her presence before anything else. He turned for a moment to see who had just entered and upon seeing Stephanie, nodded and then returned to looking at his phone with a rather intense look. Stephanie stopped behind him and leaned over in such a way that were Chris to turn his head, he would be face to face with her breasts.

"What are you looking at so intently?" Stephanie asked, her voice low.

Chris started to look to his right, but Stephanie could just see his eyes widen and then he turned quickly back to his phone. "A text, what do you want?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering what you were looking at because you seemed kind of…distressed, I guess that would be the right word for it. Care to share what it is?"

Chris cleared his throat, probably a signal for her to mercifully move her chest away from his face, but she ignored it and kept her position, turning her head slightly to watch him and breathe on him as well, her soft breath hitting his temple. "A text from Barbie."

"Blank? Girl who so rudely spilled juice on you?" Stephanie asked, deliberately making her voice breathy so she would continually have it dance across his skin. She decided to momentarily end his torture and pulled up a chair to sit next to him. She couldn't truly let up though because as she started to sit down, she made sure her breasts gently passed across his shoulder before she sat down. She noticed him shiver the tiniest bit and she knew that if she rubbed his thigh and then went a little higher, he'd be shivering a lot more.

"Yeah, one in the same," Chris said, able to breath now that she wasn't so close to him.

"What does she want? Apologizing?" Stephanie played innocent very well. She'd been doing it for years for her father so it was an old hat. She was pretty sure her father had believed her totally virtuous until marriage so she was a pro.

"Well, she apologized last week, but she's been sending me these texts all week and I'm not even really sure how she got my number," Chris said, staring down at his phone in confusion. Stephanie had not been the one to give it to her, but now she wished she had been.

"I'm sure it wasn't hard to find," Stephanie shrugged, "you guys do work together."

"Yeah, I guess, but I guess…I don't really _get_ the texts at all, like, look at this one," Chris said, thrusting over his phone to her. Stephanie took it, making sure to graze her fingers across his.

"Getting my hair done, it's long and shiny," Stephanie read aloud. _This_ was Barbie's idea of teasing? Stephanie had to read it again, making sure that she hadn't misread it or didn't see part of it. Nope, that's what it said. _That_ was how she planned to seduce Chris? God, Stephanie wished she actually had some competition in this, it was almost too easy.

"What does that even mean?" Chris wondered confusedly. "I mean, I know what it means, she's getting her hair done, but why does she have to text me with that?"

Stephanie shrugged. Honestly, on this one, she had no idea. "I have no clue what she means with that. I guess…she wants you to know that she has nice hair."

"Like I care," Chris said, sighing and shaking his head. "I don't care about her hair."

"Have all her texts been like this?"

"Yes!" Chris exclaimed, more impassioned now and she could see that fire in his eyes. Now that they were conversing civilly and without argument, she kind of liked to see him in a fury about someone else even though she also loved when the fire was directed at her. "I mean, like Thursday, she texted me to tell me she was eating macaroni and cheese and I'm thinking, what the hell."

"Maybe eating is a big deal for her, she might only do it once a week or something," Stephanie joked.

Chris looked at her and laughed. It was such a departure from the anger he spewed at her sometime. "Yeah, maybe…there was one where she said she was in the shower and I was thinking, wouldn't you not want to bring your phone in the shower?"

"She texted you from the _shower_?" Stephanie asked. While hilarious, that was kind of bold of ol' Barbie Blank."

"Yeah, can you believe that, I may have to change my phone number after this," he told her and their rapport was improving every second. Leave it to them to bond over the ineptitude of a coworker.

"That'd be a shame, I think she would keep texting the number and the poor fool who got it after you would be confused as to why some girl is sending him texts about watering her lawn."

"I haven't gotten a watered lawn one yet," Chris laughed, "I expect it in a couple of days."

Chris smiled and it took Stephanie aback with the way it brightened up his face. She put out the phone for him to grab back and he looked at it for a moment before taking it back. She let her fingers graze his again as he pulled back the phone slowly as if letting her fingers graze his hand like that. His face was flushing a little from her tender touch and Stephanie almost grinned triumphantly.

She had no doubt now that she and Chris would be perfect together, absolutely perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Once again, thanks for so many awesome reviews, I'm so happy people like this! This story was a special request so I hope you enjoy it and please keep leaving reviews, they make me so happy! :)

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Good things never last.

"You want me to be _knocked out_ by Mickey Rourke!"

Stephanie looked up as Chris decided that knocking was once again not his strong point. She put her pen down and looked up at him, resting her chin in her perfectly manicured hand. He was glaring at her, but it was almost like beyond that glare, she saw something that she liked, something that told her that Chris hadn't just been seeking out someone in management, that he had been seeking _her_. She liked that thought; she'd continue to think it as long as it suited her.

"That's right," she told him.

"I'm not sure I _get_ this line of thinking, Stephanie, so you're going to have me get knocked out by an actor who just happens to be sitting in the audience?" Chris said, taking a seat. It looked like he was going to be here for the long haul. She didn't argue with this because the more time he spent here, the less time he spent with any competition.

She'd heard that Barbie was constantly hanging around him, or trying to at least. Chris didn't seem enthusiastic about this and in fact seemed even more irate than he had when they'd changed his storyline. Maybe it was a mixture of both elements that made him barge into her locker room. The thing with Barbie was perfect though. She wanted Chris to realize that a mature woman and not some ignoramus like Barbie.

"Well, with him actually coming to the show, we thought we'd get him involved somehow."

"I didn't like this idea when you were going to have me face him and I don't really like it now," he told her. "I don't know why you're putting me through this."

"You're one of our top guys," she said simply.

"Doesn't feel like it," he told her, still glaring at her. His eyes hadn't even deferred for a moment. Stephanie reached her hand up as if she was thinking, idly bringing her fingers to the collar of her white blouse, of which she knew her bra showed through. It wasn't on purpose, her shirt was white and it was just see-thru. She started running her fingers up and down her collar, sometimes coming to just the top of her breasts and then back up again, her fingernails grazing against her skin.

"Well, I don't know what to say here, Chris," she told him, her voice lowering just the tiniest bit. "I mean, it's what we've planned for you. I know you didn't like the idea of fighting against Rourke and you won't be…"

"But you want me to get knocked out by him? Stephanie, you're going to have me beat three guys, granted they're all old, but still, you want me to beat three guys and then you want me to turn around and let one guy knock me out?"

"Well, I mean, people would just think that you were tired from your match with three guys, since you pointed that out," she told him. She noticed that this time around, he was a little nicer. There were no pounding fists. Maybe she was softening him to her. Or maybe he was just staring at her fingers as they ran over her skin, her grazed skin a fetching shade of pink. Maybe he was imagining that it was his fingers running up and down her bare skin.

Maybe he was thinking about how she would creep over the desk like a spider, her fingers tapping along the wood like small footsteps, her knees climbing next and she would straddle him and then his fingers would pause on her top button and he'd look up at her and then he would just rip the shirt open, the buttons flying and landing like confetti to the floor. Maybe that was the look in his eyes right now.

"Still, I'm a wrestler, he's an actor, this does not add up," Chris said. "Stephanie, why do you insist on making my life so difficult?"

She didn't know what to make of that and for a moment she thought he knew what she wanted out of him. "Difficult?" she said silkily. "Chris, I would _never_ try to make your life difficult. Besides, I think you have other people that make your life more difficult than mine, right?"

"Oh, very funny," he said as the smirk grew on her face, "you're making fun of me because of the Barbie situation. Thanks, Stephanie, as if I needed to be reminded of _that_ situation."

"Barbie not doing it for you?" she joked, falling into it easily with him.

"Would she for you?"

"Sorry, Chris, I only have eyes for _men_," she said, eyeing him deliberately.

"Barbie makes me _wish_ I only had eyes for men," and there was that charming smile of his. "But yes, she does make my life…hey, wait a second, are you trying to change the subject here? No, I'm not going to just let this go."

"Nobody was asking you to," she shrugged. "I wasn't trying to change the subject."

"Stephanie, come on, you know I'm usually good about these kinds of things, but this is way too over-the-top, I want it changed."

"I don't think so," she told him. "We want the cross-promotion. It's going to happen, Chris, why don't you just accept the things we give you? Why do you always have to make a stink about things?"

"Because I can," he said cheekily. "Especially when you put me in stupid storylines. I don't see you in a stupid…oh wait, you are in a stupid storyline. Sorry, forgot."

"Oh, now who's the one making fun of people? Paul and I are through, he's clinging to something that is gone for me," Stephanie said, making it perfectly clear that she was single. "I think it was over long before it actually ended, at least on my part."

"Cold," he told her, "especially because he goes on and on about you in the locker room."

"Does he?" she asked coolly. She hadn't known about this, but she wasn't surprised. Paul was seemingly incapable of moving on.

"Yeah, about how great you are, he even threatens some of the other wrestlers not to even look at you," Chris chuckled. Stephanie raised an eyebrow.

"He does that?"

"Yeah," Chris told him. "Not that I would listen to him or anything. I don't think that anyone really listens to him when he says that."

Stephanie latched onto the part that said he wouldn't listen to him. What could he possibly mean by that? "You wouldn't listen to him?"

"Hell no, if I wanted to go out with you, I would just ask you point blank," he told her, his blue eyes bearing into hers with intensity. She almost felt her breath being stolen from him. It was the first time he really seemed to take her breath away, but there was something in his look that just made her want to stop breathing on the spot.

"That's nice to know," she told him, "but maybe someone like Barbie _is_ better suited for you. I don't think you could handle me, Chris Irvine."

"Excuse me? You don't think that I could handle _you_?" Chris scoffed. He seemed upset about this, like she'd just insulted his mother or something. She shook her head. "Stephanie, if I wanted to handle you, believe me, I could handle you."

"Interesting, I'll make note of that in my 'Things That Will _Never_ Happen' List," she teased and made it clear that she was teasing. She didn't want to drive him away. Stephanie could play a mean game of hard to get, but she would much rather play, come and get me.

Chris laughed, "You'd be better than Barbie."

Stephanie got a wicked idea and she smirked. Then she stood up and went to sit on her desk in front of Chris, crossing her legs in front of her as she folded her arms just under her breasts. "Does Barbie really bother you that much?"

"Well, let's see, she keeps texting me with her inane ramblings and she keeps following me like my dog or something, I'd say that yes, she bothers me that much. I can't seem to shake her though. It's like she thinks I like her back. I mean, I'm a nice guy, I don't want to crush her because she's what, 13," Chris said as Stephanie laughed. "I'd feel bad. I'd lose my nice guy reputation."

"Nice guy reputation? I've yet to see this."

"You're just full of jokes, aren't you?" he said sarcastically.

"Well, if you need someone to help you out," and here was where he wicked little plan came in, "I could pretend to be your girlfriend so she thinks you're taken."

Stephanie knew full well that Chris would never do a plan like that. It wasn't that he had integrity or any bullshit like that, she just knew that he wouldn't want to beat around the bush with plans and what not. He wasn't some spy or secret agent. He was just a guy, a wrestler, and he wasn't, but she was going to play this part and she hoped he responded the way she thought he would so she could have her fun.

"You, pretend to be my girlfriend?" Chris asked. "I don't think we could pull that off."

"Why, you hate me?" she pouted.

"No, but I don't think we'd be believable," Chris said and though it wasn't the response she wanted, she liked this one better.

"Not be believable? What do you mean?"

"I mean that she wouldn't believe it, I don't think anyone would. We're at each other's throats way too much for people to believe that we would be together and suddenly even? No way."

"You don't think we'd have chemistry," she told him, pushing herself off the desk and then leaning in towards him. "Oh, Chris, you mistake the way I work."

"The way you work," he gulped.

"I could absolutely pretend to be your girlfriend," she said and she was so going to love this. "I'm insulted to think that you wouldn't see me as a believable girlfriend for you. I'm sure we could make Barbie believe we were together. I mean, that twit would believe anything you told her."

"Give her a little credit, Steph."

Stephanie decided to be bold. She straddled his legs and sat down in his lap, facing him. Chris's eyes widened as she sat down and she believed she'd left him speechless. She wiggled around, pretending she was getting herself comfortable, but she wasn't wiggling around for that reason. She finally settled on a spot and looked at him, grinning at him as he just stared at her. That's all he did, stare. He hadn't moved a muscle, his arms dangling at his sides, like he was afraid to move them in case he touched her.

"Well, if she found us like this," Stephanie said, her voice trailing off, "I think that she might be convinced."

Stephanie then reached forward and ran her index finger down his jaw slowly. She paused underneath his chin, her fingertip just under his chin, pressing into the soft stubble he had there. He had yet to move. She was tempted to take his right hand and place it on her thigh, but that might be too blatant. She was just trying to tease him, like she was honestly just trying to show him that she could be convincing with him if he wanted to get Barbie off his back.

"With me looking at you like this," she said, "then me leaning closer, just like this…"

She leaned in closer, her head instinctively turning to the side so they didn't bump noses. Her lips were full and she wet them. Chris was still speechless though she could almost feel his heart beating in his chest. Her left foot had risen up to caress his ankle, making his jeans lift as she got to the skin underneath. She stopped a few centimeters from his mouth so their breaths mingled together. She didn't do anything else, just stopped right there.

"Then, if we both leaned closer," she told him, just getting in a little closer, just millimeters. "We could kiss…"

She could almost sense Chris's lips pressing together, like he wanted to kiss her. She let her eyes flutter close and if he did kiss her, she would kiss him back. But then at the last second, she pulled away from him, startling him. She wanted him to want it so bad that he practically begged for it. She could sense it was soon and she would've given if Chris hadn't said that they couldn't be convincible.

"Stephanie?" he choked out.

"Well, I mean, see, we could do something like that," she said, getting up off his lap, leaving him in a very flustered state of being. And if she wasn't mistaken, a little something seemed like it wanted to come out and play while she'd been sitting on him. It took all of her willpower not to reach inside his pants and grab a hold of what she wanted.

"What _was_ that?" he said, finding his voice.

"Me proving to you that we could be convincing," Stephanie told him with a slight shrug, like she really had been just trying to show him that they could fool Barbie. "But you know, it's a silly idea. I mean, those things only work in the movies, right? And we're not in the movies, so stupid idea."

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head like he was shaking the cobwebs away.

"Anyways, sorry about the Rourke thing, but it's going through," she told him, then walked past him, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you understand, we have to work with what we're given and my dad likes the idea so it goes. Now, I've got to run, but I will talk to you later."

Chris was still too stunned to move a muscle so she left him there, sitting.

Thinking.

Wanting.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm honestly surprised at how much people like this story. It's seriously awesome and I'm happy that people are enjoying the story. Please keep leaving reviews, they totally make my day, thank you and I hope you enjoy! :)

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She felt pretty good about herself after her little stunt.

She'd surely left Chris wanting more when she'd been with him last week. She half-expected to see him running after her, begging for her to continue or at least begging her to go through with this "fake" plan just so he could touch her a little more and she'd let him touch her, but just a little, just enough to let Barbie know that he was unavailable. Of course, she'd have other designs on the man, but he didn't need to know about that.

She was careful to make sure that everything she did could be taken in a different way. She didn't want Chris to figure out just what she was doing. Otherwise, he might get mad at her and not want to be with her. Oh, who was she kidding? He probably would still want to be with her. Stuff like this, plans like the one she was pulling were right up his alley. He'd have an appreciation for it if nothing else and if he wanted, she'd let him punish her. He could even be extra rough if he wanted.

Everything she had pulled so far could be explained away as an accident or something she'd done deliberately but had no intention of making him feel anything sexual towards her. That would drive him nuts, thinking he saw something sexual in everything she did, but her having a way out of it. Even though her intention _was_ to make everything sexual between the both of them.

She looked up and saw Chris actually talking with Barbie and her eyebrow raised. Well this was certainly peculiar after the way Chris had been acting towards Barbie the week before. He had been so aggravated with her and he didn't look very aggravated now. She wouldn't go so far as to say he looked happy, but who could be happy when they were talking to a girl who had more brains in her boobs than she did in her head? She walked over to the situation, ready to assess.

"Hey, you two," Stephanie said, sending a small smile to Barbie, who was grinning widely at Stephanie. Stephanie could read her face, she was trying to tell Stephanie how excited she was to be sitting here with Chris. This girl really was so child-like. Stephanie almost wanted to pat her on th head and tell her that she'd given it a good try, but now it was time for the real competitors to step up to the plate.

"Hey, Stephanie," Barbie said in her bubbly voice, shrugging her shoulders a bit, maybe trying to look cuter, but failing, failing miserably. "Sit, sit..."

Stephanie wasn't going to waste the opportunity. She'd pit herself against Barbie right now and then Barbie would really see what she was up against. She sat down next to Chris, glancing over at him and smirking. He just looked at her, his face expressionless. She leaned her chin against her hand and then looked between the two of them, waiting for them to tell her what they'd been talking about.

"I was just telling Chris about how I decided to come to the WWE instead of going to college. I mean, I guess I could've gone, but I was already doing modeling and then I knew some wrestlers and they were like, you should be a wrestler! And I was like, Me? I can't be a wrestler! But they said I could and so I did and now I'm here."

"Wow, that is _quite_ the story," Stephanie said.

"Thanks! I was just telling Chris how great it is here and how I've made so many friends and how weird it is that people recognize me on the street and they do, well, a lot do, mostly guys, but girls too and they tell me I'm their role model."

"Role model? That must be such an honor."

"It is!"

"Don't you think that's an honor, Chris?" Stephanie asked. "Don't you think Barbie makes a great role model."

Chris stared at Stephanie for a moment, just stared, just looking and then he turned to Barbie with a great smile on his face. "That is really an honor and it's definitely great to feel so respected, isn't it? It's something you never get used to. Even now, today, I'm still amazed when someone comes up to me and says that I'm their hero."

"It's such a great and strange feeling."

"It is," Chris said. "But also it comes with a lot of responsibility behind it. You have to go out there and be a good role model, you know, do the right thing, be a great person."

"Yes, that's so true," Stephanie said. "It's important to look good in front of the fans, no matter what."

"I do try," Barbie said.

"I'm sure you're doing a great job," Chris told her.

Stephanie just watched Chris talk to her. There was something different about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it, though she was trying to figure it out. He didn't look any different so it wasn't that. There was something in his demeanor this week that hadn't been their last week, but what could it be exactly? She let Chris and Barbie talk about stupid, mundane things as she watched Chris. Her hand was itching to reach out and stroke his thigh as he talked to Barbie, see if that didn't distract him. She could be bold like that, but she didn't want to cause a scene.

Instead, she resinserted herself into the conversation. She listened an appropriate moment. "So Barbie, are you excited for WrestleMania?"

"Oh my God, yes! It's going to be so much fun. I totally want to participate in everything, well, not the matches, but you know what I mean, like the events beforehand, I really want to be a part of all of that. It'll be so much fun!"

"Yeah, I think so too," Stephanie said. "You, Chris?"

"Yeah, well, I must admit that I'm not in the match that I want to be in, but I'm not complaining," he said, looking at Stephanie pointedly, like he was proving to her that he was being a good sport about the whole thing.

"I can't believe you're wrestling old guys," Barbie said, "what a drag. I mean, I know that they were good in like the past, but they're old now and they shouldn't be wrestling. I barely even remember any of them, I mean, I know who they are, but I never really saw them wrestle."

"You've never seen Ricky Steamboat wrestle?" Chris wondered, his mouth going slightly agape. Barbie shook her head. "He's only one of the best, one of _my_ idols. I mean, I guess I agree with you about the wrestling them now, but in his prime, oh my God, I loved him. I still do, he's amazing, he's an amazing guy."

"Oh well, yeah, but still, he's old and you deserve better, you should've given him a better match, Stephanie."

"I'll be sure to do that next time," she deadpanned. Now was the time for her to tease Chris a little. "I do think the show is shaping up to be pretty great. My dad didn't want a totally over-the-top thing, which is rare for him since he really seems to love over-the-top most of the time. I don't know what's got into him."

As Stephanie was doing this, she moved her foot over a little bit and then ever so slowly, as she was talking and being seemingly oblivious to what she was doing, she ran her foot up and down Chris's leg. She just continued talking though, like she was just talking and doing nothing with her foot, even though it had found it's way under Chris's pants and to his bare leg. She stilled herself for a moment so Chris could feel how smooth her ankle was.

"Uh, Stephanie?" Chris said.

"Yeah?" she said, turning to him.

"That's...that's my foot," he told her.

"What?" she asked, playing dumb, then looking down and opening her mouth. "Oh, I am so sorry, is that your leg?"

"Yeah, that was my leg," he said.

"Oops, I thought that was the chair stool," she told him. She wondered if he was wondering if that was how she always acted around chair legs. It wasn't, just his legs. One day they'd be intertwined with hers as they lay in bed if Barbie didn't screw things up for her and actually hit a nerve with Chris. But why worry? Barbie was so pea-brained she'd blow it on her own and Stephanie didn't mean blow Chris. She would take care of _that_ herself.

"Okay," Chris said, his voice somewhat strained. Seems he did notice and appreciate the smoothness of her legs. "What were you saying, Barbie?"

"Just that I'm not sure who's winning my match at WrestleMania, do you know if you're winning mine."

"I do actually."

"Chris gets a lot of say around here since he's one of our very best wrestlers, if I do say so myself," Stephanie said silkily, longing to reach out and just claim Chris for herself right then and there. Maybe he was a very possessive lover, needing to mark his property. She wouldn't even mind if Chris bent her over the table right now and did what he wanted with her. Let Barbie watch, she was sure the blonde was deficient in this area as well and if Stephanie could give some pointers, so be it.

"That's really cool," Barbie said. "I wish I could have that kind of say. I think I'd make myself win every match I was in though!" She giggled at that, but she was the only one. Or at leas tshe was the only one for a few seconds before Chris started laughing too.

"I think I might do the same thing," he chuckled. "I don't get _that_ much say in what I do, but it wouldn't be great if I didn't lose a match. It'd just be a rehash of Goldberg from WCW and his winning streak, which at the time was awesome, for him at least, but in hindsight, making someone invincible, it just doesn't go over that well. They start to get criticized."

"I'm not familiar with Goldberg."

"You're not...oh well, you're young. He was a wrestler, he started his career winning every match, usually in a squash match."

"You guys didn't get along too well, right?" Stephanie said, just a subtle dig because she knew her wrestling history while Barbie was left wondering who Goldberg was. Maybe she didn't even know what WCW was.

"Not really," he said and Stephanie started stroking his leg again. Chris gulped, nearly audibly. "Steph, that's still my leg."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry again. I swear, it's just force of habit, I'm not trying to pull anything." Except him begging for sex from her and her giving in and fucking him into the next week. _That_ she was trying to pull, but no sense in letting Chris know that.

"It's okay," he told her, then turned back to Barbie, "You know, Barbie, I would love to hear that story about your first match again, please tell it."

"Oh, totally, sure," Barbie said before she launched into what was promising to be a very annoying and boring story.

Then Stephanie realized what Chris must be doing. He must know what she had planned for him. He must have figured it out sometime over the week and instead of confronting her like he should (she would surely undress him if he did confront her and then he could confront her in bed), he was going to try and play the game. This must be him playing the game. There was no way he would want to engage Barbie in conversation without prompting. So this was his strategy. He was going to try and smoke her out.

She thought it adorable to think that he wanted in on this, but he was going to lose. Men always lost when it came to her. But it was okay because even when they lost, they'd get a reward. Chris would be a formidable opponent, sure, he was even willing to go so far as to pretend to like Barbie, but every opponent faltered at some point and she'd pounce on the weakness. Then when he broke, she'd pounce on him. But if he wanted to play, they could play.

She wondered what he was going to try and pull. Was he going to pretend to date Barbie? If he went that far, she might have to give in just on the principle of the whole thing. But then, she could just retaliate by pretending to get back with Paul. Oh, the games they could play on each other since he knew now. If Chris wanted to try and use Barbie as his pawn, she would just use Paul as hers, especially since Chris despised him. Yes, the game was on.

And they would certainly play.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Again, wow, I'm amazed by the popularity of this story. Thank you all _so_ much for your reviews, they mean so much and never fail to put me in a good mood when I see them in my inbox. I hope you enjoy where the story is going and please continue to review, they help me write. Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

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"So you think he knows what you're up to then?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't and is obviously trying to one-up me," Stephanie said, flicking something out from under her fingernail. "Otherwise I just don't see him hanging out with that girl without wanting to…I don't know, blow air into her ear and see if she'll float away."

Beth laughed, she couldn't help it. She'd dealt with the perky blonde before so she knew where Stephanie was coming from. All of the divas that could wrestle dreaded whenever they'd have to wrestle with Barbie. On-camera, maybe, _maybe_ she looked semi-competent, but that was because her opponent would have to lay out the entire match backstage beforehand. Every move, every step had to be told to her. Beth and the other divas had complained to each other about it, but it seemed she was Vince's pet project for the year.

"How do you even deal with her?" Stephanie asked.

"Very carefully," Beth said, "so Chris has been cozying up wit her?"

"If you want to call it that," Stephanie said blithely. "Barbie sure seems to think they are. If I have to hear her gushing about him one more time…you know, it's funny, but if she doesn't stop talking about him incessantly, I'm going to lose all interest in him and believe me, he does not want that."

Beth smirked. "You seem very confident in your skills."

"Beth, if you were guy, I'd show you my skills right now," Stephanie told her. "But believe you me, Chris is not going to be disappointed. Guys around here have been wanting me since I was 14 years old."

"Except you didn't want them."

"Hell no, at 14, older guys were cool, but guys in their 40's hitting on me, no thank you," Stephanie said. "Of course, now that I'm older, I'm able to appreciate age more and well, Chris does seem to get better with it. I just want to find out what he's hiding under those oh so revealing briefs of his."

"It was like him switching to those was part of this entire place to get back at you or whatever the hell it is you two are doing," Beth said.

"Well he's going to need more than a little leg to satisfy me, but I'm sure that he would satisfy me just right," Stephanie said. "I don't know how he can stand being around that girl!"

"Looks to me he can stand it because it is definitely getting under your skin," Beth pointed out, noting Stephanie's aggravated look and her defensive posture right now. She was sitting with back straight, her arms folded, and her lips pursed together.

"It is not," Stephanie tried to protest, but it was. Instead of focusing solely on her, Chris was focusing on that stupid, blond bimbo who talked way too much about herself. She felt like if she put a mirror in front of Barbie she'd just talk to that all the time and truly believe it was another person, like a bird who thought their reflection was another bird. It was fitting for a birdbrain like hers.

"I think it is," Beth told her, trying not to laugh. She was sympathetic towards her friend, of course, but Stephanie getting bested by Barbie, it just wasn't possible and the mere notion that Stephanie could believe there was a competition was laughable to Beth.

"It's not," Stephanie repeated. "He's just trying to get under my skin is all. He thinks that if he can break me down, if he can somehow get the upper-hand in this, he'll have all the power in our inevitable relationship. But I'm not going to give him that power, he doesn't deserve that power, no he does not, he thinks this is going to bother me, I'm going to make sure it doesn't bother me."

"More than it already has," Beth just had to add.

"It hasn't," she scowled. "I'm going to go find him right now."

"Good luck, hope he's not with you-know-who."

She left the locker room with a brief wave and decided to go find Chris. Maybe she would push some of his buttons so he'd get mad at her again. She liked it when he was mad at her because it was almost like he seemed to lose his inhibitions. When he got so volatile like that, he was vulnerable and when he was vulnerable, she could strike. Barbie probably made him volatile in another way, wanting to get the hell away from her. She laughed at that and continued searching.

She couldn't find him anywhere though and got frustrated and sat on one of the trunks lining the hallways. She thought she'd looked everywhere, but he must've been walking around as well and she was probably just missing him wherever she went. She thought over the past couple weeks. She'd seen him around Barbie all the time and Stephanie had barely been able to get a word in edgewise because that little blonde thing liked to talk so much. She was one of those people that must _love_ the sound of her own voice.

"So then…"

"So then I told them politely that I had to leave and got the hell out of there," Chris's voice wafted to her ears. She turned and saw him with her least favorite person in the world, just surpassing Paul, Miss Barbie herself. Stephanie wished she were like a real Barbie so she could comb her hair too hard and pull it right out of her head and then shove her away and give her to the dog.

"You're so funny!" Barbie said, giggling loudly. "I can't believe you went through something like that. One time, I was walking down the street and I tripped…in front of everyone! I was like, 'Oh no, I've fallen and I can't get up' just like the commercial, but I said it in my head, not out loud because that would've been weird."

"That _would _be weird," Chris nodded sympathetically.

"Have you ever fallen?" Barbie asked casually, like that was something she asked everyone in a normal conversation. Maybe Barbie's falling incidences were such a normal occurrence in her life she just believed they were a normal occurrence in everyone else's life.

"I've fallen plenty of times."

"So I'm not the only one! Not that I thought I was, I mean, people fall, I fall, I'm people so I fall," she said, giggling at what she must have thought was clever word play. Stephanie was cringing because she could hear this, how was Chris not cringing outright at hearing this? She would've been staring at Barbie in disbelief by this point. Chris was a lot stronger-willed than she had given him credit for.

"I think people do fall," he said, then looked up and saw Stephanie. "Oh, hey, Stephanie."

There was something so casual in his voice, like he had known she was there the whole time and was just acting like he was interested in Barbie's falling situation. Stephanie hoped her next trick was falling off the face of the Earth, but she probably wasn't that lucky. She almost dared Chris with her eyes to put his arm around Barbie, to make this little scenario complete. She sucked at her teeth a little, staring at the both of them, appraising them like you would a fine antique. So many differences, subtle ones, big ones, everywhere, differences. It was like taking a kitten and putting it with a lion, someone was going to come out hurt and it wouldn't be the lion.

"Hello, yourself," Stephanie said, just as casual. If that was how he wanted to play this conversation, she would play it his way, make him think she was falling for it. "Barbie."

"Hey, Stephanie," Barbie said happily. When Chris wasn't looking at her (Stephanie could feel his eyes wandering over her and played with the collar of her blouse, letting her fingertips graze the skin just above her cleavage), Barbie let out a silent squeal and mouthed to Stephanie that she was talking and walking with Chris, because apparently Stephanie was blind and dumb and couldn't see what was right in front of her face. Barbie started almost dancing in her spot and Stephanie watched as Chris turned to her and she stopped, putting a grin on her squinty, little face. "I was just telling Chris about this one time that I fell and I was walking down the street and I fell and I thought to myself, 'I've fallen and I can't get up!' but I said it in my head, because it would've been embarrassing to say it out loud, I'm not funny like that except in my head."

Stephanie watched Chris as she told her boring, inane story over again and he was emotionless. Masking his emotions well, she liked that. She could do the same thing. In fact, she could pretend like she was nice to Barbie too. "Oh, I hate that," Stephanie said sympathetically, "I don't think I'm funny either."

"I'll agree to that," Chris said.

"And just what do you mean by that, Chris?" Stephanie asked, turning to him.

"Just that you aren't funny, unless you count your singing as funny because that is funny," he said.

"Oh, you're cute," she said sarcastically as he gave a wry grin at her. She raised an eyebrow at him, just a tease, just a little tease. It was hard to do anything when she hadn't planned to do anything, but she could always turn an opportunity her way. That was one of her great skills. Stephanie had a knack for turning things her way. She was an expert at steering a conversation and when she found herself in the middle of a boring one, she was a master of words at turning them in just the right direction. "So how are you planning for that match of yours?"

She'd hit the button, the alarms had sounded. Chris's eyes darkened just a little bit because he, if not anyone else in this conversation (Barbie was studying the ends of her hair and wondering if she should change conditioners so this was certainly going whoosh), understood the tone of Stephanie's voice. She pursed her lips a little to try and hide the smirk that was forming on them. She loved when he got riled up.

"I don't know, thought I'd…do nothing since what is there really to plan?" Chris said. "I mean, sure, I can train, but I'm going to think that even ten minutes of training is more than any of them have done in years."

"Hey, I think Rick looks good for his age," Stephanie told him.

"Yeah, Rick does," Chris said, "but the others, are you kidding me? It has to be a squash match, it just can't be anything else."

"Of course it can, wasn't it you who gloated about being able to bring anyone to a good match?" Stephanie asked him, knowing she was provoking him even more. It was like poking a sleeping giant and not turning tail when they woke up.

"Sure, I can, but I like to think that they'd be in the same age range as me."

"So you're not willing to work with any of our younger guys?"

His eyes narrowed at that. It was too bad, he did have such captivating eyes. Stephanie was keeping her cool and he didn't seem to notice that she was doing this deliberately. She was almost hoping that he would get so mad he'd just kiss her. She felt like there were moments in the past where that should've happened. Moments where his eyes blazed a bright blue like the hottest fire and then those blue flames would graze their heated way over her lips, scraping them in his mind, capturing them. Then he'd come back to himself and the moment was lost, but she'd felt them, oh how she'd felt them.

"Stephanie," he growled in warning. Sleeping giant indeed.

"Chris, don't be mad, it's okay to be old," Barbie said and Chris swung his head in her direction as Stephanie laughed at her faux pas.

"What?"

"I just meant that you're older than some guys around here, not that you're old." Stephanie wanted to applaud, Barbie had just proved she wasn't a complete numbskull, this might even require a standing ovation.

"Oh," he said, then calmed down. Stephanie stared at him. That was it? No words of rancor, no dirty looks, just clear-cut acceptance? Oh, he wasn't just good, he was fucking brilliant. He was taking this absolutely full tint and almost impossibly, that made him even hotter to her.

"I'm going to go," Barbie said and once again, applause from the audience. For this section of the talent competition, Barbara Blank demonstrates how she can actually read a room!

"Okay, I'll talk to you later," Chris said.

"You're going to talk to her later?" Stephanie asked curiously.

Chris turned to her, "Yeah, I am, actually."

"Interesting," Stephanie said. "If I may be so bold, what are your intentions with the _young_ Barbie Blank?"

"None of your business, _old_ Stephanie McMahon," he told her, staring down at her. She was in a vulnerable position sitting here. She had to look up at him and just that small gesture, her sitting, him standing, gave her the position of vulnerability to his dominating presence.

"Oh yes, I'm so old," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Why do you even care?" he dared ask her. Was he trying to get her to admit that she was lusting after him, that they would be perfect together, that she wanted him everywhere on her body and _in_ her body? Did he really think it'd be _that_ easy?

"Just curious, wouldn't want you to catch anything, not that I'm saying that Barbie has something to catch," Stephanie said, but in her mind, she added, except stupidity, but she refrained, no use in hearing Chris defend the little twit. "But you just never know in today's world, am I right?"

"Speaking from experience?" Chris smirked.

"I believe you've used that line on me on-screen," she said, "come up with new material if you want to act like that around me just because you're little heart is hurt because you didn't get the storyline you wanted and you have to go around pouting like a little boy. In fact, you know, maybe you should go out with Barbie, you two would be perfect with your matching mindsets."

"Coming through, guys!"

Chris and Stephanie turned and saw large crate being moved through the hallway, presumably holding things needed for the ring. There was already a lot of hallway being taken up by the trunk Stephanie was still sitting on and the crate was large and being moved quickly. Chris had no choice but to press himself between Stephanie's legs, eliminating any of the space between them. She was slightly surprised when he did so, only because she hadn't been expecting it, but there was really nowhere else for him to go since the production guys were in a hurry.

This was one of those moments, she thought to herself. Chris was bending over her slightly, his head bowed and she wondered if he was staring down at her. She kept her head down too, raising it only slightly as she felt his cheek brush against the top her head. He was just pushing himself out of the way, but the gesture felt intimate in a way. His breath was tickling the skin on her cheek, causing the almost nonexistent hairs to stand on end. She could almost feel the wetness of his breath pooling against her skin in infinitesimal drops.

Stephanie was never one to let a moment pass by though.

She shifted like she was uncomfortable with the closeness they were sharing and moved her right leg so it was right against his crotch. She bit her lip, still looking down, playing it off like she was trying to shift away from him but instead had shifted right into him. Then she acted like this was uncomfortable too and in the process, rubbed her knee right into his pants. She could actually feel herself brush against him, still disguising her movements as uncomfortable jerks.

She tried to listen for his breathing to quicken, to come in quick pants as her leg brushed against parts she hoped to get to at some point, but his breathing was even and deep. She wanted to look into his eyes, but that would be admittance, that would be telling him that she knew exactly what she was doing and why she was doing it. It would reveal the lust she was feeling for him at this very moment, the want that was quickening inside of her, pumping in and out of her blood, pulsating through every bone. And she was not going to give in.

Finally, the guys moved on and Chris stepped away from Stephanie. "Sorry about that," he said, his voice even. "Nowhere else to go."

She finally dared to look up at him and the only thing she noticed were those eyes. They were fiery again, blue like a supernova. She wondered if her own eyes were blue or gray, storm or sky. There was certainly a storm raging inside of her. She could pull Chris into her office, rip off his shirt, throw him down on her couch and have her way with him or, for a change, let him have his way with her. Either way it would end up with her spreading her legs at some point.

But that wouldn't be as much fun.

She liked to do things right.

And she'd know when that right moment was…soon enough.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you SO much for the reviews. I love that people are loving this story and the way Stephanie is in this story, she is pretty bold in it, huh? I hope that the direction I'm going in is going to go over well with you guys and I hope you enjoy the chapter and reviews are always appreciated and loved, thanks. :)

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"Didn't that feel like old times?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she walked backstage, Paul on her heels like one of those pathetic little dogs that followed you around and wanted your attention and yapped, yapped, yapped the entire time. Paul was a little, yappy dog, annoying her and making her want to turn around and kick him. Maybe that was the difference between Paul and a dog, she didn't want to kick the dog.

"It was a scene, Paul."

"Yeah, but it was _us_, you know, how we used to be."

"Yes, because how we used to be makes me look like a complete idiot…wait, scratch that, being married to you _did_ make me look like a complete idiot."

"Stephanie," Paul sighed. "I just want us to be what we were before. Remember when we had plans for the future, wanted the same thing."

Stephanie turned around and scoffed. "Paul, tell me a time when we _ever_ wanted the same thing? Do you know why we worked at first? Because my father didn't like the idea of us being together and being the rebellious girl I am, I wanted to stick to him for it. It was an experiment gone horribly wrong."

"You don't mean that. You were happy with me, I know you were."

"Paul, the only thing you're coming off as right now is downright pathetic," she said, then off his look, she sighed and rubbed her temples. "Paul, we are over, I'm sorry that you have not come to terms with that, but that is what we are, we are two people in the middle of a divorce, there is no chance for reconciliation."

"Give me a good reason why," he demanded of her.

She didn't think saying she had plans to fuck Chris Irvine's brains out would qualify as a good reason _to him_. To _her_ it seemed like a very, very good reason not to get back with Paul. Paul had never been…quite up to par in that area. Sure, he'd been _sufficient_, she supposed, but expert? She would not go that far. In fact, she probably wouldn't even go so far as sufficient if she were pressed.

"Because I'm not in love with you," she told him plainly, watching as his eyes darkened the tiniest bit. She hated to crush him, really she did, but if he couldn't take a hint, what more could she really do?

"Oh," he said, biting his lip. "But you did once, what happened?"

Did she really ever love him? Maybe a tiny bit. "Life happened," she said. "Now if you will excuse me, taking moves is not exactly my idea of fun and I know I'm going to have a sore back tomorrow--"

"Let me take care of you," he said quickly.

"I can take care of myself."

"You might be hurt thought or sore and you might need someone there with you."

"I don't need you to take care of me."

"But I'm offering."

"Everything okay over here?"

Stephanie looked over at Chris, who had surely come to save her out of jealousy at the man in front of her. Jealousy? She couldn't see it written all over his face, but how awfully convenient of Mr. Irvine to just wander over when she was with Paul. He must have been curious enough to wander over her, maybe saw the agitation on her face and decided it would be worth it to come over and be her knight in shining armor. Was it possible she already had him wrapped around her finger? Could she take him right here, make Paul watch so he could finally catch a clue as to her _not_ wanting of him?

"We're having a private discussion," Paul growled. Paul had always disliked Chris, but had never divulged the _real_ reason for his dislike. Sure, he said that Chris thought he was better than he was or that Chris was too cocky, but she thought Paul was just immensely jealous of everything Chris had and one more thing was soon to be added to that list: her body.

"Paul was just trying to invite himself up to my hotel room to take care of me," Stephanie said, trying to sound like Paul was the most pathetic thing on the planet to try and get Chris to agree with her and maybe invite _himself_ up to her hotel room. She would certainly let Chris take care of her and she wasn't talking about the aching in her back, but the aching she felt…elsewhere.

"That's nice of you," Chris said, but in such a way that it was meant to be sarcastic.

"Just butt out, I'm talking to my wife here."

"I'm _not_ your wife anymore!" Stephanie said, storming off. She could not deal with that man right now or ever. He just could not take a hint. She was letting go so why wasn't he? She was going to need a long talk with her father about this storyline and how angry she was about it. She could hear footsteps behind her and she spun around, her hair flying around her face. "I said leave me alone!"

"Well, I was just trying to help, but okay," Chris said.

Stephanie quickly tried to collect herself, pulling her wayward hair out of her face and into a more pleasing look. "Sorry, I thought you were--"

"Paul, douchebag extraordinaire," Chris nodded as Stephanie nodded with him. "I could just tell how irritated you were so I thought I would come and see how you were, see if you needed some moral support."

"Moral support?"

"From divorcee to divorcee," he said as they fell into step beside one another. "I think I understand now why you don't care about what I'm doing at WrestleMania because of what you're dealing with back there."

"That's not why I didn't care about what you were doing, you just need to learn to go with what we tell you and not complain because everyone, at some point in their career, has to put up with something or someone they don't want to."

"Speaking from experience, I can tell," he told her coyly and she rolled her eyes as they came upon her door. She walked inside and Chris followed her in. This was the kind of following she liked, not little yappy Paul.

"So where's Barbie, I figured she'd be hanging around you like she usually is, seems like she's been your shadow for the past couple of weeks," Stephanie said noncommittally, like she was just trying to make conversation when she was really sending feelers out as to the actual relationship between Chris and that blow-up doll named Barbie Blank.

"She has not been."

"I beg to differ," Stephanie said as she pushed some papers around her desk. "Every time I see her it's 'Chris this' or 'Chris, that,' it seems that you have yourself one hell of a groupie or is that too harsh a word for her."

"She's a wrestler, well, she's trying to be a wrestler, I guess, she's not half bad," Chris said, glancing over at Stephanie as she stared at him. "I mean, you know, for a blow-up doll."

Stephanie laughed, "Are you saying you don't want the attention of young, Miss Blank."

"I'm saying I don't know where she got the notion that I do like to be followed everywhere," Chris told Stephanie. "She's a good kid, but I'm starting to get the feeling that she got a very wrong impression of me or she's the most persistent girl I've ever met."

"Wrong impression?" Stephanie inquired wondering if Barbie had not been able to shut her mouth long enough not to rat her out. Maybe Chris already knew that she was the one that had told Barbie that Chris may like her and he was teasing her right now, trying to get her admission of guilt.

"That maybe I want to get in her pants at every possible moment, that kind of impression."

"And do you…want in her pants, I mean."

"Why Stephanie, do _you_ want to get in Barbie's pants?" Chris said, turning to her. "I never figured you'd want to try something like that."

Stephanie scoffed, "Believe me, if I were going in that direction, I like to think I'd have a lot better taste than Barbie Blank. But are _you_ above Barbie? I mean, she's young, perky, what more could you want, really?"

"I don't know, maybe I should sleep with her, thanks for the advice," Chris said, rolling his eyes and pretending to unzip his pants. "I'll go after her right now! Barbie, here I come!" Stephanie's eyes were fixated on those pants. He fingers were still lingering near the zipper and she willed him to just pull it down and pull what she wanted out. "Earth to Stephanie!"

"What?" Stephanie said, trying to make it seem like she wasn't ogling the front of his pants. She didn't want him to see one iota of want in her eyes. He was supposed to show her want, not the other way around. Damn him for his silly little games!

"Nothing," he said, observing her, his eyes obviously sweeping over her form. "Did you get hit harder than you thought?"

"No," she told him, though she should have said yes, just to make it even more clear that she was not staring at his hands near his zipper, that she was not picturing her on her knees in her office with him standing over her, his hands threaded through her long hair, pushing him in closer, deeper.

He came over to desk and leaned his hands on top of it, leaning over her, staring into her face. She looked at him with question and he glared at her shortly. "I'm checking to make sure you're okay, is that such a crime, Stephanie?"

"No, it's not a crime, Christopher," she said snidely. "But I assure you that I am fine."

"Okay, okay," he said, but she rubbed her back a little and he laughed, "You know, pride goes before the fall."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked sharply.

"You're rubbing your back, it's feeling sore," he told her, gesturing towards the arm that shot out from behind her back and came to her front so she didn't look weak.

"It's fine," she said, closing her eyes. "It's nothing."

Her eyes closed, she took a deep breath. Her back was a little sore, but it was going to be okay, she didn't need the sympathy, she never needed the sympathy. She nearly jumped when she felt hands on her shoulders. It didn't take a genius to know it was Chris's hands and they were working their way down her back. Her eyes widened considerably. She hadn't been expecting this and her body immediately went stiff at his touch.

"Relax," he told her in her ear, his voice a husky whisper or that was how she perceived it to be anyways. Maybe it wasn't and it was just how she was imagining it to be. "You're so tense, no wonder your back is sore."

"You don't have to do this," she said, not letting him break her, damn him for initiating it like this. He was trying to get her to admit defeat, but she wasn't about to let him win at this. She was the master, not him.

"Like I said, pride goes before the fall."

She couldn't help but think this was more than what it was, he'd said it twice, he was baiting her. "I'm not prideful."

"Oh, I think you are," he said, his hands moving lower, as if daring her to let him underneath her shirt, to let his cold, but slightly warmer now hands run up her skin, creating goosebumps. "I think you have too much pride, you never ask for help, you never ask for what you want, instead, you just go about silently, don't you, Steph?"

She took a deep, shuddering breath, "No, I ask for help when I need it."

"Is this helping?" he asked, his hands touching her a little firmer.

"It is, yes," she said, "see, I'm admitting that you are helping me."

"Yeah, after I called you out on it," he told her. "You wouldn't admit it if you were hurting, I had to catch you out."

"There was no catching of anything," she said defiantly.

"I think there was," he said. "May I?"

She didn't want to let him, but her brain was telling her not to be stupid. "Sure."

His hands slipped under her shirt and they were warm, God they were warm, warmer than she'd expected and his hands moved expertly against her skin and he was breaking her down slowly and she couldn't believe he was winning at _her_ game. She could feel herself start to get aroused from the mixture of his hands on her skin and his breath on the back of her neck. IF someone walked in right now they would absolutely get the wrong idea.

"See, I let you help me," she breathed out.

"I know, see how easy that was," he told her with a chuckle. "Now if only you'd help _me_ out."

She almost wondered if that could include letting him sweat off some calories with him on top of her, but then he'd tell her he knew all along that she'd been playing him. "How do you think I should do that?"

"Well, I'd say that you could get me out of this damn WrestleMania match, but I know you can't."

"I can't, so what else is there to want?" she asked, lingering on the last word, letting it cling to her breath, wondering what it was that he could come up with, wondering if it was going to be what she wanted to hear, if he would tell her it was her he wanted and then slip his hands around to her front and cup her breasts while kissing her neck.

"A better feud next time."

She hated him.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, still so glad people are loving this story and I hope you like this chapter, things could be heating up maybe, who knows? lol Anyways, enjoy and leave a review if you feel like it, I'll be very happy. :)

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"Dad, once this storyline is over, I want it dropped."

"What dropped?"

"Any kind of history with me and Paul. I don't want to be married on camera. I don't want to be mentioned as Paul's wife because soon I'm not going to _be_ Paul's wife, do you understand what I'm saying?" Stephanie asked.

After this storyline, she wanted nothing more to do with Paul. He was cramping her style and making her uncomfortable to boot. She wanted nothing more than to never see him again, but because they worked together that was an impossibility. If he were to be let go, he'd go right to TNA and bring Shawn with him and her father would throw her out on her ass before he let that happen so the only way she could assure her mental health was to make sure that she and Paul had no contact.

"I don't see why you two couldn't work it out. Your mother and I have always worked out our problems."

"You and Mom are two completely different people with completely different lives. Besides, neither one of us cheated," Stephanie said, giving her father a pointed look that caused him to shut his mouth pretty effectively. Stephanie had a knack for working people. She was always ready with the quip that would shut their mouths.

"So you don't want it mentioned at all?"

"No, I don't, now I know you won't be totally able for Paul to not slip those stupid 'I'm superior' comments in there, but I don't want to be in an active storyline with him ever again, do you hear me, Dad?" Stephanie said, trying to get through that thick skull of her father's.

When she'd first married Paul, her father hadn't been too pleased and that pleased her just fine. Once in her life, she had to defy her father just outright. Sure, in little ways she would defy him, go against what he wanted, but never with something so permanent. Paul, before then, had been almost dangerous. He'd still been smarting from the punishment he'd received for the whole Kliq incident and so to him, marrying the boss's daughter was sticking to Vince and she was completely comfortable with that. It felt good to watch her father as he realized that he couldn't control her any farther than he could throw her.

But then, her father had had a change of heart because he cared about her. He'd started to accept Paul into the family and when Paul proved that he had wrestling prowess, he'd become her father's golden boy. It almost became like her husband had married her father for all the time they spent together. It even bothered Shane to see Paul in their father's ear. He became his most trusted advisor and that's when things started to go downhill. Now Stephanie might have been able to deal with this, but when her father started believing Paul over her, started letting him step over _her_ duties, that's when she had a problem. She knew she'd never been as happy as she could've been with Paul so cutting him loose had been no skin off her back.

Was Chris that rebellious guy she was looking for?

She thought so. It was part of what made him so appealing to her. If she were to be with Chris, like _really_ be with him, in a relationship (a fiery one she predicted) she thought, or at least hoped that Chris would be what Paul wasn't. She couldn't see Chris being buddy-buddy with her father, but the kind of man that would make sarcastic comments to his face or just not listen to him and then make fun of Vince later with her, possibly while naked, possibly while in bed.

"Stephanie, are you listening to me?" her father asked.

She looked up at him, "I'm sorry, Dad, I'm just so engulfed in work, you know, what with WrestleMania coming up and everything. I want to make it the best show possible and it's got my mind preoccupied." Her father grinned at that and she knew he would. Her father loved his work above everything. Maybe even above her family. "What were you saying?"

"I said that I hear you and I understand," Vince said, giving in because she was his daughter and he'd given in for 32 years before this and he'd give in for the next 32.

"Thank you, Dad," Stephanie said, "one other thing on the agenda. I think that we should give Chris a better feud after this one is over, to make up for what he's going to have to do at WrestleMania."

"We'll see, now get out," he said good-naturedly and she nodded and left the room.

Chris was waiting outside, "Did you talk to him?"

"He said he'll see," she told him with a careless shrug. He'd asked her to mention it, she mentioned it. Now it was up to her father.

"Did you really ask him?" Chris said, running in front of her so he was facing her.

"Of course I did, are you questioning my honesty?" she asked, pressing her hand to her chest and giving him a smirk.

"Yeah, I'll believe you're honest when I'm dead," Chris told her, giving her the once over. "All he said was that he'll see."

"You're better off talking to Paul about it, see if he can get my father to give you something good," Stephanie said.

"Someone sounds bitter."

"I'm not bitter," Stephanie told him. "I have no reason to be bitter, none at all, unless you want to impose something on me, come on, Chris, be the guru, tell me what I'm _so_ bitter about, I think I could use a good laugh."

"I think you're bitter about a great many things," he said sarcastically and this was what she was talking about. Chris didn't take shit from anyone and maybe that's why he was playing the game so well. They were the same kind of person, so many differences and yet so alike. She wondered if that look he was giving her was because he was going to say she was bitter about the entire Barbie thing and how he was spending so much time with her and not with Stephanie herself. But then that would be Chris admitting that this was a game and he knew better than that. If they were to wear each other down, neither one could admit it was a game.

"Oh, a great many, you say," she said, raising an eyebrow and wondering how Chris had managed to back her up into a wall. She had no idea how she'd even ended up here, but she could feel her back pressing up against it and Chris was in front of her, that damning smirk on his face again, the one that made her want to reach forward and grab him by the neck and kiss the breath out of him. She could do it too, show him what it was like to _really_ be kissed. She guessed he'd never been really kissed in his life. None of this lovey-dovey bullshit, but a _kiss_, the kind that stole your breath and wonder how you'd survived so many years without it.

"So many things," he said, his voice lowering considerably and she tried not to let her breath speed up because she could feel breath start to stunt and hear start to race. She only hoped this was the kind of reaction he was getting at the same moment. She stared into his eyes and his pupils were small, maybe narrowing with lust, seeing only her in his vision, focused and determined and would he really just fuck her against the wall already? She didn't care who saw or who watched, but would he just tear her pants off, lift her up and drill her to the wall?

"What kind of things?" she asked and she was relieved to hear that her breath had no caught nor had her voice stumbled in the slightest.

"That Paul gets more say than you do."

"Lies," she told him, shaking her head, knowing that he was getting a nice whiff of her perfume.

"I don't think so," he said, getting imperceptibly closer. There was something about the anticipation of something that could make a situation even hotter. Sure, she and Chris could have sex and it'd be fine, _great_ even, but there was no fun in that. Sometimes, you had to let something build until it reached its breaking point and then you can let loose. This was simply what she was doing and what he was doing. They were letting the anticipation build and when one of them finally broke, well, she could sense fireworks in her future.

"I am the head of creative."

"That's the title you were given, sure, but I bet it kills you that Paul gets his way all the time, doesn't it?" She loathed him for knowing what her biggest problem with Paul was. God, how she loathed this man.

"I run things around here and I suggest you remember that unless you want your next feud to be against The Miz."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Have I ever been known _not_ to hold a grudge?" she said, feeling like he was even closer now. How was he getting closer to her without her even noticing? Well, time to turn the tables a little bit. She started licking her lips, pretending like it was unintentional, like they were just dry. "When someone does something I don't like, I do something about it."

"Oh really, like what?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"I make sure they feel it, right where it hurts," she told him, her voice lowering like his had lowered. She was somehow pushing back because Chris was backing up now. She pressed her finger to his chest. "I run things around here and I know how to manipulate my father better than anyone here. If I wanted something to happen, believe me, I could get it to happen."

"I don't believe you," he said, shuffling backwards now that she was in control of the conversation.

"I just got my father to drop this Paul storyline after WrestleMania. I'll never have to think about him in husbandly terms again. If Paul was my father's golden boy, don't you think that he would be all for keeping us together as long as possible? I'm the one who gets my father to do what I want. I _always_ get what I want."

"You sure about that?" he asked.

"I'm pretty damn sure about that," she told him, gently pressing her right leg into his. "Trust me, Chris, when I want something, I'm not the kind of person who sits around and waits for something to come to them, if I want something, I'll make the effort to get it."

"I'm the same exact way," he told her and if she didn't know any better, she could swear that Chris was pressing his own leg back against hers.

"I figured," she told him smartly.

"How did you figure that?"

"I can tell some things by just looking at you," Stephanie told him, running her tongue against the bottom of her teeth.

"Is that so? So what can you tell right now?" he asked.

"I can tell that you're irritated because you really, really want a better storyline and you don't know if you're going to get one."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"As far as I can tell." Like she was going to say something that would give what she wanted away. Did he take her for a novice?

But speaking of novices, just as it was getting interesting, the one person who could ruin it all and not realize it happened to walk up. "Hey, you guys, what's going on?"

Stephanie sighed and pulled away from Chris, "Barbie," she said snidely, but Barbie was smiling too brightly and her head was too light to realize that she had walked in _again_ at the wrong moment. Maybe if Stephanie stapled a clue to the front of her skull she'd get the picture that she was not wanted. Why did she have to think that Stephanie was like her new best friend? Stephanie didn't need any more friends and she didn't _want_ anymore friends.

"Hey," Chris said, pulling away from Stephanie even further, like he didn't want to be seen with her and she narrowed her eyes at him. Why wouldn't he want to be seen with her, what was wrong with her? "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just saw you guys talking and wanted to come over," Barbie said. "Stephanie, you look so pretty tonight."

"Thanks," Stephanie said.

"We should go shopping sometime, I would love to look like you because you dress so nicely, you know, when people see me, all they think is that I don't think, you know what I mean."

Stephanie knew what she meant, she dressed like a slut, but Stephanie figured that was just the look she was going for because she probably was a slut. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she said, trying to be polite, but if she could, she would be blasting Barbie with her eyes at the moment."

"Fun! Shopping trip!" Barbie clapped and Stephanie groaned inwardly. Was she actually going to have to go shopping with this girl? She could not think of a worse torture. "It'll be fun, we can even do lunch and manicures!"

"You girls have fun on that," Chris said, "I'll see both later."

He winked at her as he walked away.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So glad you guys are loving this crazy story, which has taken on a mind of its own. This is not what I originally planned, but when something changes, you just go with it, right! Anyways, hope you like this chapter, it was pretty fun to right so I hope it's equally fun to read. And if afterwards, you want to click that little review button, I wouldn't hate you for it. ;) Enjoy!

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"That's really pretty!"

Stephanie put the blouse back on the rack. If that little bimbo thought that it was pretty, then Stephanie didn't want to touch it. To Barbie, pretty probably meant slutty and Stephanie, unlike her shopping "buddy," was not a slut. Stephanie had discerning taste and didn't just settle for whatever dick just happened to get up at the thought of her. She imagined that's what life was like for little Barbie Blank. At the mention of dick she was probably on her knees in record time. She just hoped this had not happened with her and Chris. But since she was on this little excursion with Barbie, she might as well make the most of it.

It wasn't like she could get out of it. She'd made no mention of what the blonde had said about going shopping, had pushed it clear out of her mind so when she opened her suite door this morning, she hadn't been expecting the bubbly, young bobblehead to be right outside her door. Her smile was smack-worthy and it took all of Stephanie's strength not to do just that. Barbie, in her ignorance had told her they were going shopping today and then she'd pulled Stephanie along. She'd been too shocked at the intrusion to her life to fully protest until she was shoved into the back of a smelly cab and told to go to the nearest mall.

"Why did you put that back, it would look so cute on you!" Barbie said, pulling the shirt back out and pressing it against Stephanie's chest. "Oh my God, you should buy it."

"It's not for me," she said coolly, trying to put it back again, but Barbie wasn't letting go of it.

"Of course it is! You would look _so_ pretty in it, buy it! Buy it! Buy it!"

Stephanie looked around at some of the other people who were starting to stare at them. Stephanie grabbed the shirt and held it. "Fine, I'll take it." Barbie looked like she'd just won the lottery and Stephanie grit her teeth. She'd just donate it to charity when she got home. That way someone else could benefit from it.

"You're going to look so pretty," Barbie said in a sing-song voice.

"Sure," Stephanie said, walking away and going to another part of the store, but like a little puppy who had lost its way, Barbie was right next to her, looking over her shoulder. Well, wait, no, Barbie was too short to look over Stephanie's shoulder so she kept looking around Stephanie's shoulder and it was startling when Stephanie was looking at something and Barbie's head would just pop up out of nowhere. She needed a collar with a bell on it like a cat so Stephanie could be aware of when she was sneaking up on her.

"You will, you should wear it tonight," Barbie said, nodding her head. "At SmackDown."

"No thanks, I like to be comfortable when I'm not on-screen," she responded.

"Oh come on, please, pretty, pretty please, you will look so stunning in it," Barbie told her.

"I'll think about it," Stephanie said, just to appease her and shut her up. People were looking at her like she was a child and although she was pretty much was, Stephanie didn't want to be associated with a semi-grown woman acting like a child. She liked to exude an air of confidence and sophistication, not candy and teeny-bopper shit.

"Okay," Barbie said, appeased by the answer.

"So what exactly is going on with you and Chris?" Stephanie asked, pretending to be making conversation and not prying for information. "You two have seemed pretty chummy lately, hanging out and what not."

"I think he likes me!" Barbie said excitedly, clutching the shirt she had in her hand. "I really think he does."

He liked using her. That's all Stephanie believed. She knew Chris had…tendencies, like any man, to gravitate towards the sluttier of their species, but for a relationship, there was no way Chris would put up with someone this _juvenile_. Stephanie had barely been tolerating her for the past hour and a half, there was no way Chris could spend hours upon hours with this level of banality and not want to shoot his brains out or carve his brain out with a butter knife, anything to be away from this torturous woman. If the government needed any help with getting information from detainees, they should just stick them in a room with Barbie Blank.

"That's great, have you guys kissed or anything?" Stephanie asked, wondering if Chris would actually put his lips on this girl.

"No, nothing yet," Barbie said and she seemed a little bummed, though Stephanie was happy for that. "But I think he will. Maybe I should seduce him!" Barbie burst out laughing, but Stephanie was nearly sick to her stomach. That would be the most disgusting thing she could think of and she shuddered.

"Do you really think he'd like that?"

"Yes, what guy doesn't, in my experience, they love that."

Oh that girl, she was just digging the hole deeper and deeper. "Some of them."

"All the ones I've been with have," Barbie shrugged. Stephanie rolled her eyes as she busied herself looking at a shirt. "Maybe we should invite Chris to come shopping with us, I bet he would."

Stephanie looked up sharply, "You think so?"

"Sure, I'm going to call him," Barbie said, grabbing her phone from her purse and dialing Chris's number. "Hello, Chris, it's me…you know who me is…no, don't joke like that!" Barbie giggled in that irritating way she had. "Stephanie and I are shopping and you should come join us, it would be really fun…yeah…come on! Great! Bye, see you soon, we're at Bloomingdales!"

Why did every sentence she spoke have to end like she was a at party and nobody could hear her? "Is he coming?"

"Yeah, he said he'll be here soon," Barbie said, holding in a squeal of anticipation. "I'm going to take him to Victoria's Secret and then I'll maybe let him pick something out, but I won't tell him I'm going to use it on him. Then he'll still get a surprise."

"Yeah, that'll be a surprise."

Stephanie and Barbie looked around until Stephanie could feel Chris's presence. Barbie was oblivious like usual, but she could feel Chris's eyes skimming over her and she turned around. He was staring at her and she raised an eyebrow as he walked closer and closer to them. It wasn't until he was right next to them that Barbie got her head out of the clouds and turned to him. She grinned and threw her arms around him in embrace, one he didn't look too keen on returning, but, keeping his eyes trained on Stephanie, he hugged her back. Stephanie just rolled her eyes and turned back to the clothes.

"I'm so glad you made it," Barbie said. "Come on, let's go shopping somewhere else, I'm bored of this store."

Stephanie was bored of Barbie, but she was certainly not bored of Chris. Barbie grabbed Chris's hand and started pulling him out of the store. She sure liked pulling people around, pushy thing, she was. They left the store and went into the main mall thoroughfare. She dragged them over to a map where she started looking for the store she wanted to go to.

"How has your day been?" Chris asked and she swore she could hear the slightest twinge of amusement in it. He found it amusing she was stuck with this walking, talking doll. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, but he didn't notice or he pretended not to notice.

"Great," Barbie gushed, "I think Stephanie and I are going to be the best of friends. We have so much in common."

Stephanie didn't know where the hell she got that idea. They'd barely talked and when they had, it had mostly been Stephanie grunting an answer while Barbie talked and talked, then talked a little more. Then she talked some more to compensate for the silence that Stephanie was grateful for. Chris looked over at her and he had that damning smirk on his face, like this was the funniest thing in the world to him and if she wasn't so damn attracted to him, she would kick him in the balls right now.

Barbie was pulling them again and Stephanie followed behind Chris, trying to keep her eyes off the way his ass looked in those jeans. No man should be as good-looking at Chris was. It was a crime against all the other men in the world. How she had worked with this man and not fucked his brains out already, she would never know. Before she could tell what was really happening, they were in Victoria's Secret and Stephanie walked quickly to see Chris's face and it was one of surprise and she hoped that other emotion was horror. Barbie started going around, looking at things and Stephanie followed.

"I just needed to get some shopping done," Barbie tried to pass it off like this was just a normal shop and for a girl who probably spent the majority of her time in just her bra and panties (or naked), it probably was, but Chris could see through that. "Let me know if you see anything you like."

"I think I see something I like," Chris said and Stephanie wasn't looking, but she liked to think that was meant for her. She looked at some of the underwear hanging around. She did like the store, but she wasn't really in the mood to buy anything right now. But then, on the other hand, if Barbie could try and seduce Chris, then why couldn't she? She went over to the lingerie section and pulled something out. It wasn't too over-the-top, but just enough that it would put images in Chris's mind. Images of her. "You like that?"

Stephanie looked over her shoulder and saw Chris standing there. Unlike Barbie, his presence was very welcome. "I was thinking about it, why?"

"They're nice," he told her. "If you like that kind of thing."

"Do _you_ like that kind of thing?" she wondered, turning ever so slightly to just face him, but still keep half her face hidden from him.

"Not really," he said, "I guess I like my girls a little bolder. I don't need lingerie or anything like that…just the girl, the right girl."

"I see," Stephanie said, turning around fully, "well, I'm sure Barbie is just the _right_ girl for you then."

"Like I don't see what she's trying to do," Chris scoffed.

"Oh, but Chris, I thought you liked the girl now," Stephanie told him, pursing her lips a little. "You've been hanging out, she tells me, and she really likes you and she thinks you really like her. Said you'll probably kiss her soon and everything. Here I thought you didn't like her, but I guess I was so very, very wrong."

"Has she been telling you that?"

"Are you saying she's _wrong_?" Stephanie asked him, staring him in the eyes.

"I'm not saying anything," he told her. "I just said I know what she's doing and it is pretty obvious that she wants me to pick something out for her."

"Yet here you are, around me, telling me that I don't need these kinds of things." He hadn't directly said it, but she was trying to gather information from him.

"I didn't say that about you."

"Are you saying it now?"

"I'm not saying anything," he told her, "was just asking if you thought they were nice."

"I don't know, I can't really picture myself in them, can you?"

"I can't picture myself in them either," he said smartly and she gazed coyly at him.

"That's not what I asked, Chris," she told him, her voice deepening and becoming huskier. "I asked if you could picture me in something like this. So can you?"

"Why would I have occasion to see you in something like this?" he asked back. He was trying to bait her into saying what she wanted. He was trying to get her to admit it, right here, in the middle of a Victoria's Secret, in the mall, in some random city they would leave behind and not think of again until they came back, with that blonde floozy standing a short ways away, not paying attention. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction, not here.

"You wouldn't."

He looked a little taken aback, but composed himself. "I see. That's too bad then."

"Is it?"

"I would've liked a good laugh."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone, appreciate them as usual. Wrote this one with a headache so let's see how it turned out. Hope you enjoy and if you want, reviews are loved and appreciated. :)

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Stephanie was fuming. She couldn't believe the audacity of Chris Irvine to insult her like he had. Oh, he thought he was funny with his little snide comment about seeing her in lingerie and laughing, but she was onto him. He would _kill_ to see her lingerie. He was just trying to be coy, like he didn't want her, but everything pointed to the fact that he did. He wouldn't have gone up to her if he hadn't been interested in what she was looking at. Oh, but then he had to make his snide little comments and upset her.

She slammed her fist onto her desk. After they'd gone shopping, Chris had left again so she and Barbie could get their manicures and pedicures. Now normally she loved getting pampered, but when you were getting your pedicure and manicure, it meant that you stuck next to that shrew and all she did was talk. So she'd had to sit there, with no escape, next to Barbie Blank for over an hour. She could probably tell you what Barbie's great-aunt twice removed on her father's side did for a living back during the Great Depression and you know what that made her? It made her very, very angry.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in," Chris said, letting himself in her office. "I just got done talking to Barbie and she told me that I just _had_ to come see you and see how you two got matching manicures."

"I picked my color and she picked the same one right after me," Stephanie said dully.

"Don't you see, Stephanie," Chris said, placing his palms on top of her desk and leaning forward, "Barbie thinks of you as her hero and I think she wants to _be_ you or at least just like you. Though, I've got to say, I think she could do better in the idol department."

Stephanie was going to say that there was no way she would want to be Barbie's hero, but the moment Chris said that she could do better, her receptors rose and then the pit of her anger boiled until it spilled over. "What do you mean she could do better?"

"Most girls would aspire to be, oh, I don't know, the first woman president, but she aspires to be…you, a bitter, egotistical, power-hungry, filthy, dirty, disgusting--"

"What are we, back in 2001?" she cut him off. "You're going to have to get some new material, _Chris_. But then again, I guess that would be too over your head if you didn't have your trusty thesaurus with you, am I right?"

Chris bit his bottom lip and she smirked at him, raising an eyebrow, daring him. She knew she could win in a verbal war. Sure, Chris could break out some big words and even bigger insults, but he had no idea who he was dealing with at this point. He had no idea that behind those eyes, inside that brain lay a brutal machine, ready with insult after insult until he crumbled in the corner, a bloody mess. She wanted him to try though. There was something so visceral about fighting with him. It was like it came naturally to them and with that naturalness came the spark that made her want him so much and hopefully made him want her as well.

"I wouldn't need a thesaurus to insult you, the words just flow naturally," he said, leaning forward even more. Stephanie stood up and placed her hands just inside his.

"Well, I figured you might have dumbed down a bit since you've been hanging out with Barbie Blank, I think just being around her makes a person lose brain cells," Stephanie retorted, her eyes boring into Chris's as they spoke.

Chris leaned forward a little more and she was keenly aware of how his smell seemed to be invading her consciousness. "So _that's_ why you've been acting the way you have, well it all makes sense now."

"I have more brains in my pinky than Barbie has in her entire head," Stephanie told him. "That girl couldn't navigate her way out of a box."

They were so close now that their noses were almost touching. Neither one of them was actually defending Barbie, but rather just arguing for arguing's sake. If she tilted her head just slightly to the side, he could just lean forward and kiss her. She was unaware, but her head had done just that. Her blue eyes met his lighter blue eyes, and they were both huffing their breaths out. She almost willed him to kiss her, to just take her mouth, seize it and make it part of his own. She was mentally pushing it to happen, just happen, just kiss her.

"Hey!"

Chris and Stephanie both turned their heads to see Barbie at the door. Did the girl knock? Maybe that was one of the things that was beyond her mental capabilities. "Barbie," Chris said, Stephanie still aware that his head was right next to hers.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked, probably not thinking anything was going to happen, but _was_ something going to happen? She wasn't sure Chris would have kissed her. It was certainly a nice thought, something she wanted, but would he have. She turned to him, looking at his profile, strong jaw, normal-sized and appropriate nose, light eyelashes that brushed his face like tiny paintbrushes and God, was this man actually inducing cheese in her? She was disgusted with herself.

"We weren't doing anything," Chris said charmingly, pulling away from Stephanie and standing up. "What are you doing in here, looking for me?"

"Oh of course not, I mean, sure, I like looking _at_ you, but I wouldn't say that I was looking for you, no," Barbie said. "Actually, I was looking for Stephanie, I really wanted to talk to you, nail polish buddy!"

"Wait a minute," Chris said, looking down at her nails and then looking over at Barbie's nails. "Why yes, yes you _are_ nail polish buddies! Wow, you two are just looking _so_ adorable!"

Barbie, who obviously was born without a sarcasm filter giggled and brought her hand up to her mouth. "I know, we are totally adorable! Stephanie didn't want us to get the same nail polish, but I told her that we just absolutely had to because what better way to end our perfect day than to get matching colors to remind us of how awesome our day was!"

"I don't know what could be better!" Chris said. "But I will be going now and leaving you two ladies alone, who knows, maybe next time I see you, you'll be in matching outfits…"

"Chris, that'd be _silly_," Barbie giggled again and Stephanie couldn't understand how someone's giggle could be like a nail driving through your skull.

"Stephanie, until we meet again," Chris winked, his eyes locked on hers as he leaned down to kiss Barbie on the cheek. Stephanie could practically _see_ the girl swoon and she just glared at Chris, knowing what he was doing. She watched as he walked out of the office, giving her a short wave, leaving her with this blonde bimbo. If she even so much as suggested they actually wear matching outfits, she was going to fire her on the spot.

"What do you want, Barbie?"

"Did you see that!" Barbie said excitedly. "He kissed me on the cheek. OH, I just know that he is going to kiss me for _real_ soon. I can see it happening in my brain."

"Don't you think he was going to kiss you, he would have already?" Stephanie asked. "I just don't think that Chris is the type of guy who would necessarily wait to kiss you, if you know what I mean."

"Oh no, I don't think so," Barbie said. "I definitely think Chris is just the kind of guy who waits for the right moment, just the right moment. He might even plan something very romantic for the two of us and then he'll kiss me and it'll be beautiful."

Stephanie wanted to crush the poor simpleton's dreams, but she just didn't have the heart. Wait, no, she absolutely had the heart to do that, but she would much rather watch Chris squirm and try to get out of kissing her when the girl's expectations were so incredibly high. And romantic? Who the hell wanted romantic nowadays? She, for one, would opt for a hot kiss over a romantic one. Romance was bullshit, it was what someone wanted when they were in high school and didn't know any better.

"So what did you want?"

"Oh, well, I wanted your help with something very important," Barbie said and Stephanie bit her tongue as a sharp retort came quickly to her brain. It was like t-ball; Barbie just set her up with these easy lines and she could knock them out of the park, but where was the competition in that? There wasn't any.

"What did you need help with?" Stephanie was almost afraid to ask because the answers, oh God, what could she possibly help with?

"Well, you see, when I was younger, my mom said that before you get married, you should write a letter to your future husband. Just a way to get all your feelings out and everything for your future husband, so I thought I would write one for Chris, but you seem to be good friends with him so I wanted your help, would you help me?"

Stephanie narrowed her eyes, "Future husband?"

"Yes, future husband."

"I think your mom meant that someone would write that when they are actually getting married and writing to their future husband," Stephanie said in disgust. How idiotic could this girl get? She hadn't been joking when she said those things about Barbie earlier, but seeing her words come to life before her very eyes was just a disgusting sight to behold. There was no way Barbie could ever redeem herself to Stephanie again.

"Oh, I thought so too, but then I was on my Twitter and one of the trending topics, those are the things that are super popular, said 'Dear future husband,' and I think it just _had_ to be a sign. I mean, there it was and I'm following Chris and we're going out or at least hanging out so it must be a sign that Chris is going to be my future husband and if he's going to be my future husband then I should write him a letter!"

Her logic just made her look even worse. Just when Stephanie didn't think she could hit rock bottom, she went and dug herself a deeper hole. But then she thought of this letter that Barbie wanted to write. The potential for disaster was almost at a fever pitch and Stephanie kind of wanted to see this girl crash and burn. It would certainly be hilarious to her if she got to see Barbie fall flat on her face.

"What did you want to say in this letter?" Stephanie wondered and she bit her lip because she knew in a few seconds she would want to burst into laughter.

"Well, I just want to tell him that he'd just the coolest guy I've ever met and even though we're not official or anything that I know that we're going to end up together and we'll get married and I've always wanted to have a pirate-themed wedding, do you think Chris would go for that?"

Chris in a pirate shirt getting married with an eye patch? She almost wanted to really let Barbie have Chris if that would be the outcome of the entire thing. Barbie would probably make him rescue her and swing from the mast of the ship to grab her. "Oh, I don't see how he wouldn't."

"See, we're_ perfect_ for each other," Barbie gushed, "and then we can have children together and it'll be perfect, but he has to know I feel this way, that's why I should write him a letter just telling him how happy I am and all the things that we can do together in the future."

Seeing as how this relationship or whatever you called it, maybe this manipulation was a better word, would end up if this letter was ever given to Chris was so tempting. If Barbie made this letter horrible enough, scarring enough, and creepy enough, then Chris would coming running to her, begging for her to call off this game because it was too real now, this creepy, stalker vibe that Barbie was giving off would be complete. Then she would win and he would be at her beckon call. Yes, this was quite appealing.

"Barbie, I'd be _happy_ to help you with your letter, absolutely happy to."

"Oh, Stephanie," Barbie said, throwing her arms around Stephanie, who was caught off guard. She just hoped you couldn't catch an STD from hugging someone. She awkwardly patted Barbie on the back and then pulled away before Stephanie's mouth got the best of her. "Okay, so what do you think I should say."

"Well, I'm thinking something like this…"


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews for this one guys. Someone asked me to update it so here it is, I hope it lives up to the expectations. Hope you like the chapter and reviews are loved and appreciated. :)

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_Dear Chris,_

_I just wanted to send you a letter because I'm not so good with the words and the whole writing thing. When I was in elementary school, they may me stay back a greade because I wasn't good at writing and they thought that I wold be better at the grade again. But I still wanted to send you a letter because I don't think I'm so good with words either. I start talking and then I start rambeling and it's just, I don't know, I guess it's hard for me to find the right thing to say, especially around you, but I'm going to try and say all the thing that I want to say._

_I'm really happy with you. You're such a good guy and you are really cool and you have really nice hair. I think we both have nice hair and it's really perfect that they're matching because when we have kids they'll be blond because were both blonde and that way, you could know that you were the dad because some peopel think that I cheat or something, but I'm not a cheater! I don't do that thing because it's just nto cool. I just wanted you to know that in case you think that I am, but I'm really not._

_Do you want kids? I want kids, I think they're cool and you can dress them up and do stuff with them. I think that we would have really cute kids and they would totally look like you, I think, because you're really hot and I really, really, really, really __really, really__LIKE you. I think you like me too since you go out with me and then we can be together forever and have kids and a really cute house and I won't even want to paint it pink even though that's totally my favoritest coler in the entire universe!_

"What do you think?" Barbie asked, looking at Stephanie expectantly. "That's all I could come up with so far. I thought of more, but I couldn't think of the words to say it so I didn't say it, but you could help me!"

Barbie hugged her again and Stephanie resisted the urge to pie-face the girl into the floor. Instead, Stephanie just tensed and clammed up, but Barbie wasn't letting go of her. Stephanie, finally fed up, said, "Okay, Barbie, I get it. You can let go now."

"I should write you a letter telling you how amazing you are and how you are my absolute bestest friend in the entire universe!" Barbie exclaimed and Stephanie wondered if she knew anything other than the entire universe, but then maybe it was a good comparison because you could probably fit the entire universe in the space between Barbie's ears.

"I don't think that's necessary," Stephanie said blandly.

"I think it is," Barbie said in a sing-song voice. Stephanie wondered how much it would cost to have someone's vocal chords snipped. Surely it couldn't be that much, just a couple snips and that grating voice would be lost to the ages. She was positive she'd be getting thank you cards for it if everyone else was even a fraction as annoyed with Barbie as she continuously was.

"No, I don't think it is," Stephanie told her.

"Then I can tell you everyday for the rest of time," Barbie said, "and even when we're in heaven, we can talk everyday for eternity and we'll totally get matching clouds that are right next to each other and then we can just sit around all day long and Chris can get the cloud on my other side and then he can sit with me forever!"

She was like a child, an honest-to-goodness child, dreaming up heaven and clouds and she probably thought they would have to start taking harp lessons to be able to play in heaven. "It won't be necessary to tell me everyday for the rest of time."

"But I should because you're helping me," Barbie told her. "I was…never the best in school. I don't know, my parents said I had something called DUI…wait, no, that's not right, that's when you're drunk…"

"Yes, that _is_ when you're drunk," Stephanie told her, wishing she were drunk right now. "You know what, Barbie, I think this letter is just fine the way it is. I think Chris would appreciate the honesty of your letter."

"What about all the mistakes though?" Barbie said, her bottom lip just jutting out a little bit, making her look more pathetic than she already was. She was like a little puppy dog, except Stephanie didn't want to kick puppies the way she wanted to kick Barbie. Chris was downright evil for trying to beat her at her own game and using Barbie as his pawn. Barbie had been _her_ pawn in trying to wrangle in Chris and to have it turned around on her in such an effective way was pissing her off…

And also making her that much hotter for him. She had to hand to him and give him his props for being able to turn around the situation so effectively. It was one thing to be able to compete with her, but to turn her game into _his_ game, well, she could appreciate someone as clever as her and she could only imagine what havoc they could wreak together if they so chose to do so. She started smiling as she thought of something particularly wicked.

"The mistakes are just all part of what _must_ endear you to him," Stephanie said sweetly. "I think you should show him the letter as is, warts and all."

"There are no warts…I don't have warts! I'm not a witch!" Barbie exclaimed.

Stephanie closed her eyes briefly before she turned to Barbie. "It's just a figure of speech. I just mean that if he sees you, mistakes and all, and still likes you, well then he's a keeper, am I right or am I right?"

"You gave me the same choice twice," she pointed out.

Stephanie refrained from smacking the stupid right out of the blonde's skull and tilted her head in a sympathetic gesture. "Barbie, Chris is going to love the letter just the way it is, spelling and grammar mistakes and all. You know what, I'm going to help you out."

"But you've already been such a help," Barbie told her and Stephanie smiled gratefully, which belied the aggravation that was settling itself behind her eyes.

"I know, but we're the bestest of friends according to you, though technically, bestest is not a word, but that's inconsequential. I'm going to go deliver this to Chris right now, right for you and that way, I'll be there when he reads it and I can tell you his reaction."

Oh, she'd tell Barbie his reaction alright, well, at least the reaction she was going to make up to make Barbie even more persistent in her pursuance of Chris. She would come on too strong and Stephanie would just have to swoop in and "save" Chris Irvine from any more harassment from the ditzy blonde. She would only have to make sure to be there when Chris told the little twit off. It would give her the satisfaction of seeing such an exchange and the quickness it would take to make Chris hers. Maybe she'd even reward him with something fun that involved the both of them naked. Okay, so she'd screw his brains out, but that was for later.

"Oh, Stephanie!" Barbie exclaimed, throwing her arms around Stephanie again. If Stephanie never had to smell Barbie's cheap perfume again, it would only be too soon. "That is the _nicest_ thing anyone has ever done for me."

Stephanie thought that was such a sorry thing to say, but she smiled. "Just helping you out, sweetheart."

"Do it now, do it now!" Barbie squealed in Stephanie's ear and Stephanie stood up just to get away from that shrill voice.

"I will," Stephanie smiled, a decidedly more dastardly smile than the innocent, dumb one that Barbie happened to be wearing as well. Barbie was literally bouncing on the balls of her feet and Stephanie turned and walked out the door. She knew exactly where Chris's locker room was and walked purposefully, letter fluttering in her hand. She walked to his locker room and pushed open the door, not bothering to knock.

"Jesus, Stephanie, really, have you _never_ heard of knocking."

"You don't have anything I haven't seen before so I don't see the point in knocking," Stephanie shrugged. "Hell, you probably do have something I haven't seen before." She proceeded to hold up her thumb and index finger to signify something very, very small.

"If you are ever in the position where you," and here he walked up to her, leaning in close and making her take a sharp intake of breath, "are underneath me, then I doubt you'll be making such gestures."

"Why, Chris Irvine, are you suggesting that I would ever let you _over_ me?" Stephanie asked quietly, turning her head just slightly so her breath trickled from his cheek, down his neck in hot puffs of air.

"I'm only stating what I know would happen if you were ever in such a position," he told her, pulling back slowly so she could smell his aftershave.

"Well, I don't think I'd ever be in that position."

"Oh, so over me is really your thing then, I can get behind that," Chris told her and she slowly let out her breath, thankful for the distance between them again. "So what brings you here?"

"I have a letter for you."

"My walking papers?"

"You wish," she told him, thrusting the letter at him. "Barbie has commissioned me to deliver a letter for her. She wants you to read it immediately as she put _so_ much thought into it. In fact, she might have to sleep for the rest of the day because her brain is _so_ tired."

"Jealousy just does not become you at all," Chris said, snatching the letter from her hand and sitting down on the couch.

"There's nothing to be jealous of there."

"She's younger than you," Chris pointed out.

"Yeah, so is half the population, but I don't wish to be a _child_ anymore," Stephanie said. "So are you going to read her letter?"

"Yes, when you get your ass out of my locker room."

"No can do," she told him. "I have to report back to her."

"_I'll_ report back to her."

"She wants me to do it," Stephanie shrugged.

"Why are you being so nice to her?" Chris wondered, turning to look at her as she was standing behind the couch, leaning over it to speak with him. He raised an eyebrow at her in silent questioning and she just look at him, the side of her mouth turned up in a small smile. He shook his head, knowing he wasn't going to get a straight answer and turned back to the letter, his eyes scanning it quickly. Stephanie read it over again over his shoulder, leaning in as close as possible so if Chris were to turn his head, he'd be eye level with her breasts.

"So what do you think?" she asked as he put it down on the couch next to him and leaned back.

"It's nice of her to write something like that," he told her calmly. This was not the reaction she wanted. "And we both do have nice hair so she got that right."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Stephanie almost yelled.

"What?" Chris asked, turning on the couch and kneeling as he watched her.

"Did you _read_ that letter?"

"You just saw me read it," he replied.

"Then…what…I don't understand how you can _like_ something like that," Stephanie said.

"Stephanie, are we talking about the letter or the girl?" he asked smugly, taking in her reaction. She _had_ to calm down, she was showing too much, far too much. She took a deep breath and turned back to him.

"I was just talking about how the letter is a little…ahead of itself. Kids? I mean, really, she's still pretty much a baby herself. It's just silly of her to be thinking so far ahead."

"Yes, silly of her," Chris said, amused by her behavior. She stared at him and then opened her arms, signaling a "What?" from her. "You really don't like her and I find it tickles me so much. But then I wonder to myself, _why_, why doesn't Stephanie like her? I mean, she's a good kid, so she doesn't have the best head on her shoulders, at least she's got heart and feelings and isn't…you know, a manipulative bitch."

"Are you calling _me_ a manipulative bitch?" she asked, acting affronted.

"You said it, I didn't," Chris told her.

Stephanie stepped in closer to him, "What is your end game here, Irvine?" Chris smirked at her and shrugged, turning back around and picking up the letter again, reading it over. She couldn't see his face, but she could almost see that damn smug expression on it.

"I don't know, Stephanie, you tell me."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews, I think things are going to get a little more competitive, hope you enjoy and review if you want. :)

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She'd clearly underestimated Chris. He was getting far too much pleasure out of seeing her blow up like she did. She thought she was the master of controlling her emotions. She thought she was the cool, confident one, but Chris, damn that Chris, he seemed to know all her buttons and she hated that about him because he wasn't supposed to know those kinds of things. She kept herself so guarded and yet, without even trying, Chris knew everything. She was determined not to let him win this game, but he was very clearly winning right now and this displeased her.

"Chris asked me out to dinner!" Barbie declared when Stephanie happened upon her in the hallway. The younger woman's blonde hair was bouncing on her shoulders, shiny and with tons of volume. Her eyes, squinty though they were, were flashing with happiness. Stephanie briefly wished to tell Barbie that it was all a game and that she was merely a pawn, actually no, she wasn't even a pawn, she was the board, getting stomped all over and then folded away, the least memorable part of the game.

"That's nice," Stephanie said, her voice controlled as her lips pursed together.

Barbie placed both her hands on Stephanie's shoulder as she jumped up and down. "The letter worked, the letter worked, can you believe that! I'm so glad that he liked it because I really poured my whole heart on it."

If that was Barbie's whole heart, it seemed as empty as her brain usually did. "So when are you two going out?"

"We're going out tonight, but that's not all," Barbie said with glee, a glee that Stephanie wanted to smack off her face and into next Tuesday. She was about to ask what could possibly be more than her going out with Chris, but Barbie beat her to the punch. "Chris got you a date too!"

"Excuse me," Stephanie said and she could swear that her blood was running cold. Frigid, icy blood just stopping as she stared at this younger woman, this insipid, little bitch, what could she possibly mean?

"Chris thought it would be fun if we all went out together, but since you don't have anyone, he said that was going to set you up," Barbie told her, nodding the entire time, like she was some kind of bobblehead.

She was going to kill Chris, she was going to tear him limb from limb and then possibly feed him his own heart…no, no, no, wait, that was just what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to react. He wanted her to break down and confess that she wanted to fuck his brains out and maybe more. That was jut his end game. She had sent Barbie after him so now he was doing the same thing with her. Tit for tat, that's what this was. The joke was on him though because there was nobody worse than Barbie.

She could also have done without Barbie pointing out that she didn't have anyone. It wasn't like Stephanie didn't know she was single and so what if she was? Being single didn't mean anything bad, she wasn't a spinster. She'd divorced her sorry excuse for a husband and she was looking for a good lay. There was nothing in the rules that made her bad for being single so how dare Barbie of all people try to make her feel low about the situation.

"Chris!" Barbie exclaimed as she bounded over to him. Stephanie could not see the appeal of Barbie. She was a child and she'd never get why men seemed to like to take care of someone like Barbie instead of being with someone self-sufficient.

"Hey there, Barb," Chris said, looking smugly over at Stephanie. She pretended not to see him, running her fingers over the lapel of her jacket. Even if she was pissed at him and he was winning, she was not without her wiles. "Did you tell Stephanie my plan?"

"I did," she squealed, "but she hasn't answered me yet."

"Really, well maybe she has to think about it," Chris said, walking over, placing his arm delicately and slowly around Barbie's waist, slinking it like snake and making sure that Stephanie saw every single movement of his arm.

"Well, unlike some people," she said pointedly, "it doesn't take me a long time to think about complex subject matter."

"Well, maybe sometimes thinking simply would avoid any…messy situations," Chris told her. "You know, giving in and what not, not thinking things through to the end, just going for it, no planning or plotting."

"What's the fun in that?" Stephanie asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him, making and keeping eye contact. "Shouldn't things build up to something, shouldn't there _be_ a build up so that whatever you want is even better."

"Or maybe instead of that, things should just happen, without thought, that way you never know what you're expecting," he countered with her, the side of his mouth turning up into a small smirk.

"Are we still talking about dinner?" Barbie asked, confused at what they were saying to each other.

Stephanie wanted to dismiss her like a child, telling her to go run along now while the adults spoke to one another, but with saccharine sweetness, she tilted her head towards Barbie and said, "It's nothing, Barbie, Chris and I were just discussing the value of planning ahead."

"Like putting your clothes out before you go to sleep?"

"If that's the way that you want to look at it," Stephanie said, sending another look to Chris trying to show him that _this_ was what he was dating or pretending to date, either way, he was spending time with that imbecile instead of pressing his hands all over her body and trailing his fingers over her skin.

"I think that's exactly it," Chris said, shooting a look back to Stephanie. "I think that's actually a really smart idea, but see, that's just planning the day ahead, it's not spending days or even weeks trying to come up with something, you take a few minutes and there it is and then you do it…for however long you need to do it."

The way he said that, his voice low and husky almost melted her to the spot, but she just took a sharp breath and looked away. She knew what he was implying with the end of that sentence. He was trying to tell her that he would take her all night long and while the thought was appealing, if he thought for one second that a _sentence_ was going to make her fall into his arms and his bed, then he was sorely mistaken. She was going to torture him until he begged to have her sweet, hot body wrapped around him.

"Well, sometimes long planning is good."

"You guys, can we just go to dinner, I'm hungry," Barbie said. She didn't get why they had to stand here talking. "We still have to get Stephanie's date."

"Oh yeah…my date…" She was expecting it to be someone like Mark Henry or Khali, someone she found totally unappealing and who would just be so repulsive that Stephanie would get the message that Chris was trying to send. Plus, if it was Mark Henry and Khali even her, the great actress that she could be, would never be able to feign any kind of chemistry with them.

"Chris really thought long and hard about it," Barbie reassured Stephanie, like that was going to make this situation any easier to bear.

"Yes, _long and hard_," Chris told Stephanie, winking at her and she wanted to rip his eyeballs out. "Oh, here he comes now, right on time."

Stephanie turned her head and she was expecting the worst, but the worst was actually the _worst_. The only way that Chris could have countered was the one way he took. He was too smart, fuck that asshole, he was way too smart. Instead of picking someone repulsive on the outside, she picked someone repulsive on the inside. She was wrong about Barbie being the most annoying person on the roster, Chris had picked the male equivalent of Barbie Blank. She looked to Chris and he had that damned smile on his face, not a smirk, but a smile, a vile one that knew exactly what he had done.

"Stephanie!"

"We're all here now," Barbie clapped her hands. "Food!"

"Hey, babe." Stephanie watched as Mike Mizanin sidled up next to her and tried to slide his arm around her shoulders. She was having none of that and she slid away from him. This didn't deter him from his action and he sidled up again and this time firmly placed his arm around her shoulder, nearly holding her in place. "Chris told me that you'd be interested in dinner tonight."

"Did he now?"

"Stephanie's been single since her divorce and I thought that I'd be a good friend and find someone for her and I couldn't think of _anyone_ but you, Mike," Chris told him. "I think Stephanie needs a little _fun_ in her life and who's more awesome than you, am I right?"

"I am fucking awesome," Mike agreed and Stephanie wanted to start a drinking game right now, a shot every time Mike said "awesome." She was sure she'd be shit-faced before the night was over and that was exactly how she could get through what was sure to be a miserable date.

"Aren't they cute together?" Barbie told Chris, actually leaning up and rubbing her nose with him, "Eskimo kiss!"

Stephanie snickered to herself, but Chris seemed unfazed by the action. What was _wrong_ with him? How could he keep a straight face when Barbie was trying to rub noses with him? What was next, butterfly kisses? Well, if Chris could be unfazed by Barbie, she could certainly put on a straight face for Mike. Even if he was trying to rub circles in her shoulder with his hand; she wondered what Chris had told Mike exactly. If it was on par with what she'd told Barbie about Chris, she was in big trouble.

"They're adorable," Chris said, his voice silky.

"Well, I must admit that I do think we'd make a striking couple," Stephanie said, sliding her arm around Mike's waist, "don't you think?"

Chris seemed to falter for just a moment. It was more of a flinch than anything, but she'd seen it and she fed off it. She pulled Mike a little closer to her and Chris pulled Barbie against his side. So Chris was getting jealous of his own plan, was he? She could milk this for all that it was worth and get back on top of this game and then she'd just get on top of Chris. She bit her lip and let Mike's hand thread through the ends of her hair.

"I think we're awesome," Mike added.

"Oh, totally, I must admit, I've always admired you, Mike. I think when you go out there and you just command that crowd. In fact, I would say that you're one of the best, if not _the_ best guy, on the microphone right now. Your promos are amazing. I know I should have told you sooner, but now seems as good a time as any to say it."

Insulting Chris's skills in the ring, wrestling or otherwise, always got a rise out of him. She'd known for a while that Chris considered Mike a copycat. More specifically, Chris considered Mike a copycat of him, right on down to the suits and sometimes particular parts of Mike's promos. To say that Mike was better than Chris had to be a slap in Chris's face and when she caught the slight tinge of red in his cheeks, she inwardly cheered. She was slowly, but surely winning this tug-of-war.

"Wow, thanks, Stephanie," Mike said, puffing up proudly. "What say we get going and get some food?"

"Finally!" Barbie said, dragging Chris along as Stephanie and Mike started walking. Stephanie added some swing to her steps just for Chris and gave him a flirty glance over her shoulder to let him know her intention.

"You know what you're like, Mike?" Stephanie said, just loud enough that Chris would hear.

"What?"

"I would almost call you a younger, handsomer, better version of Chris," Stephanie said, "not that I'm slighting Chris or anything, but you just have this quality that I don't think anyone has, but I guess everyone says Chris has 'it,' but I think that _you_ really have the 'it' factor if you know what I mean."

She could almost feel the fumes from Chris's body shooting towards her, but she didn't turn around to see. "I never knew you felt this way, Stephanie."

"I guess I'm full of surprises," Stephanie said, "but I just wanted you to know what I really thought about you."

Chris cleared his throat, "Barbie, you are _really_ improving in the ring, you know. I think you've got to be the hottest female to ever get in that ring. But that's just my personal opinion. You're gorgeous though."

"Chris," Barbie gushed. "You are the sweetest guy ever!"

Stephanie didn't look back at him, that would just be what he wanted. She could feel his eyes on her, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Barbie as the hottest woman to enter the ring, please, she could name five, no ten, hotter females that have been in the company, hell, she'd even add Joanie to that list just for the hell of it.

"You know, I've always thought you were pretty hot, Stephanie," Mike told her.

"Mike, you're so sweet," Stephanie said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek, she pressed her lips against his skin and let it linger there for a moment, her eyes sliding over to Chris as she pulled away, licking her lips before turning to the front. If he wanted to use Barbie, she was going to use Mike.

Then they'd see who cracked.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Glad you guys all loved the little twist in the last chapter and thanks so much for all the reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter, I enjoyed writing it. If you want to review, be my guest, enjoy! :)

* * *

"You know what I should do for you, Mike?"

"What?" Mike asked, looking over at Stephanie. She wanted to compare him to a puppy dog, a really yappy, drooling puppy dog. All evening long he'd looked at her with this adoring gaze on his face, like he couldn't take his eyes off her. It was pathetic. She wanted someone to look at her like she was on fire, not like she was put on some pedestal. Sure, she liked the pedestal of course, she loved being idolized, but not like this. Not like she was porcelain or glass and couldn't be touched. And if that weren't enough, he looked at her with lust every so often and that just made her stomach turn.

But she couldn't look across the table because if Mike's lust after her was enough to make her stomach turn, then seeing Barbie fawn all over Chris was enough to make her stomach punch through body and make a break for the bathroom. She kept trying to feed him, picking off little pieces of bread and rolling them into a ball before popping them in Chris's mouth. It was disgusting and probably unhygienic, what with her fingers sloppily rolling the bread before putting it in Chris's mouth. Worse than that was the look Chris gave Stephanie every time Barbie tried to feed him. It was so smug and cocky.

"I think I should give you the World Title or the WWE title," Stephanie said, glancing over as Chris sputtered on the beer he was drinking. Stephanie then turned fully to him. "Is something wrong, Chris, is the beer flat?"

"No," Chris said, coughing a little as Barbie patted his back like a little baby who needed to burp. Leave to Barbie to treat Chris like a child when he was certainly all man, at least from where Stephanie was sitting. In Barbie's world, maybe everything was just gumdrops and balloons and parties with streamers. It was probably all pink too. "Just…wow, Mike with the World or WWE title, don't you think that's a lot to put on the kid."

"I'm not a kid," Mike said, then turned to Stephanie as if to reassure her, "I'm not a kid."

"Of course you aren't," Stephanie said, sliding her hand down the side of his face. "You are more than capable of taking the baton and running with it. I mean, you've improved so much and I think you could do great things with the title and my dad has wanted to start a new youth movement within the company, especially since some of the…top stars are getting older."

Chris glared at her and she felt it, like lasers against her skin, two pinpoints of hot anger surging from his eyes to her skin. She was cool though, knowing that he was the one with his buttons getting pushed now. "Wow, I would love to head that up," Mike said happily. "Wow, I don't even know what I would do, that's such…that's such prestigious company to be in."

"Chris has been the World Champion," Barbie bubbled. "He was great."

"Thanks, Barbie," Chris said, still staring at Stephanie. "Don't you think he's still a little raw? No offense, Mike."

"None taken."

"Absolutely not. How else are we going to get people to be in the main event if we don't put them _in_ the main event? It's just good business sense. It's not good to put the title on the same _old_ guys over and over again," she shrugged, knowing that she was hurting his vanity. "Mike, you would be fantastic. In fact, I may bring it up at the next creative meeting."

"You're the best," Mike said, impulsively hugging her. She didn't want his hug, but he pulled away quickly and then shook his head, "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that, that was stupid of me."

"Oh no, it wasn't," she said, hugging him, "there, now we're both stupid."

"Do you want to…dance?" he asked her, then pointed towards the ceiling. "I mean, they have a dance floor and well, people are dancing and I like this song and thought you might want to. I mean, you don't have to because there's really only a couple people dancing…"

"Do you think we can wait until after dinner, that way I can burn some calories off," she told him, putting on a fake voice of sweetness. She wasn't much of a dancer, lacked the real coordination for it. Sure, she could go out there and shake her ass against a guy, but she didn't have finesse. But then she thought about that, shaking her ass against Mike, looking Chris straight in the eye, how would he not get a boner over that? She didn't and would not believe that Barbie of all things could get Chris hard. Sure, her looks were something that some men liked (blind ones?), but if they were ever to talk to her, they'd go flaccid instantly.

"You look hot the way you are, believe me," Mike said appreciatively.

Stephanie giggled, acting like she didn't hear that all the goddamned time from guys wanting in her pants, "You are too much, Mike, you know what, let's dance now."

"Awesome," Mike said, getting up quickly and pulling her chair out for her. She patted his cheek and then headed towards the dance floor, where a fast song was playing. She started gyrating her hips and turned around so that she could lean her back against Mike. He held onto her hips and danced with him, trying to keep a bored look off her face while she stared at Chris, who was whispering something to Barbie. She nodded and Stephanie watched as Chris stood up and grabbed her hands, bringing Barbie over to the dance floor.

To put it nicely, Barbie danced like a horse that had just been born and was trying to stand on its legs for the first time. If Stephanie thought she was awkward, Barbie was beyond repair. She danced like her legs were made of jelly, the bone having dissolved. Chris tried to dance around her, but it was difficult so he finally grabbed her around the waist and held her there, even as she tried to dance with him. She eventually thought that bending over in front of Chris would be an appropriate dance move and Stephanie had to turn back to Mike to keep from gagging at Barbie's obviousness. Why didn't she just pull her panties down now?

Stephanie locked eyes with Mike and kept engaged with him until she felt a hand on her shoulder, "Switch!" It was Barbie and Stephanie didn't know if this was Barbie's best idea or her worst.

Stephanie turned to where she thought Chris was, but he wasn't there. Then she felt two very strong hands on her waist, holding her with more force than Mike could probably _ever_ muster up. The hands still her hips and Chris pulled her against him so her entire body was flush with his. The music didn't matter anymore and she wasn't even sure if Mike and Barbie were still in her. All she could think about was how Chris's body just seemed to fit against hers. There was so much heat between them right now and she could feel it all pooling in between her legs. She had never wanted him more than that moment, wishing that he would slide his hand up her thigh and into her underwear.

"You're not a very good dancer," Chris told her, his chin brushing on her shoulder. "You should move like this."

He proceeded to move his hands from her waist and lower to her hips. She could feel his fingers brushing the front of her legs, a maneuver that he certainly didn't need to make and she was determined not to give him the satisfaction, not here, not in front of everyone. His hands started to move her hips side to side then rotating in a kind of figure 8 movement. She tried to concentrate on something, anything else, but his fingers were still digging into her hips, so close to where she wanted him. She closed her eyes a little and just danced against him.

"There, better," he told her. "You know, I don't think Mike has what it takes to be champion."

"That's not your decision to make," Stephanie whispered hoarsely to him and his fingers were even tighter on her hips now.

"No, but I like to think I've earned the right to give my two cents when they're needed," Chris told her. "I think that my word is pretty solid around the company, don't you think so, Stephanie? I mean, _you_ would listen to me, wouldn't you?"

She could tell he meant something deeper. And if she was correct in that belief, she knew he meant that she would come to him first, that she would break first and then do everything_ he_ wanted to do. But oh no, she was the one who was going to have him begging to fuck, begging on his knees and then she would shove his face where _she_ wanted it and not the other way around, no matter how enticing he was. And if she wasn't mistaken, now Chris was trying to tease her by bumping his hips against her ass every so often, acting like he wasn't aware of it when he had to be hyperaware of what was going on.

"I don't think so," Stephanie told him, regaining her composure. "Why would I want to listen to you?"

"Because I'm very informative," he told her. "I know a lot. I know so much about the business, I'm sure that I could even teach _you_ a few things about it."

"What in the hell do you think _you_ have to teach me about the business I grew up in?" she asked him.

He was leaning over her shoulder now, his face just in the line of sight. "You may have grown up in it, but believe me, there's more to the business than what you know. I could teach you a lot of things, the real…inner workings of it."

"I think I could show _you_ a lot of things," she told him, pressing her ass against him, keenly aware that his hands were still moving her hips. She got bold and pressed one of her hands over his, lacing their fingers together a little bit, but not enough to be obvious about it.

"I don't think you could."

"Oh, I could," she said, "You don't know much about the business side of things, how refined we are and how efficient we can be. If there wasn't us, there would be no you so I think you know the value that my…experience and my expertise has."

"I'm not sure that I do know that expertise, but if you were willing to…show me, I think that we could arrange an exchange of our…assets," he told her, his voice becoming slightly lower and darker and tinged with what he really wanted. She rubbed a couple circles in into his hand with her thumb, but didn't budge.

"If _you _ were willing to come to me and tell me just what it is you want to see about my side of things, then of course an arrangement could be made," Stephanie told him, "but that's up to you, I guess."

"I still don't think you have much to show me," he teased.

"I have _plenty_," she teased back, "believe me, I think I have a few tricks up my sleeves when it comes to the business."

"Is that so?"

"It is so," Stephanie said.

"You guys, you want to go back to the table?" Barbie asked, bouncing over to them, sending one of those vacant smiles of her, again oblivious to what was going on right in front of her eyes. Mike, on the other hand, seemed to sense something a little suspicious, but he didn't say anything, just stood behind Barbie. "I'm getting kind of hungry."

"Yeah, sure," Chris said quickly and calmly, "I'm getting hungry too and I just do _not _know what I'm hungry for. I mean, I certainly have an appetite, that's not the problem, but I just can't for the life of me figure out what I want, I think someone else should decide for me."

He looked over at Stephanie, who stood there, watching him. He probably expected her to give in right now and yes, she could feel a stickiness against her legs right now, but she would not ever, _ever_ let him know that his hands on her could elicit such a reaction. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and started walking towards the table, Mike following obediently behind her.

"Oh, I know _exactly_ what I want," Stephanie said, looking over at Chris with a pointed glance. "I'm not afraid to order it either, but I just like it served to me on a silver platter." Chris scoffed and sat down.

"I really don't think there's going to be a silver platter."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Hope you enjoy the chapter, reviews are welcome and really help to boot! :)

* * *

"What the hell are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"I mean the buzz that's going around backstage right now," Chris said, standing over her desk, his hands flat on the surface as he leaned over. She was sitting back in her chair, legs crossed and her hands resting on her knees.

"Do you make it a habit of barging into my office?" Stephanie asked, deflecting away from what she _knew_ he was talking about. She could see his face turn confused for a moment, but then turned back into the shrewd face he'd worn when he came in here. She enjoyed knowing that she could fluster him. If she could just fluster him into submission, she was sure he would crack under her pressure.

"You're one of the bosses, aren't you?"

"I am," she conceded, "but as such, don't you think you should show me the respect that I deserve and knock on my door? Would you just barge into my father's office without knocking because that's awfully rude, Chris."

"Well, when I feel the need to give you respect, I'll knock," he told her snidely.

"You don't respect me and here I thought we were friends," she told him, "I mean, you were _so_ kind as to set me up with my boyfriend and how can I ever repay that? I mean, Mike is so sweet, you know, attentive, he's obviously crazy about me and it's just so nice to know that I'm still attractive after my divorce and it's all thanks to you. You should be proud of yourself, Chris."

"What?" He was still confused and Stephanie was certainly taking advantage of it. He could act like he wanted Barbie all he wanted, she could just as surely act like she actually wanted someone like Mike.

"You should be proud of yourself for coming up with such a brilliant idea. I never knew how much I needed to feel wanted and desired," now she was just rubbing it in, but why ruin her fun and why get that look off Chris's face? He looked like he wanted to retch. "I mean, it's not like we've…well, you know, but I can definitely see myself with him in the future."

Now _she_ was the one who had to try not to retch. She gulped down the bile that was rising in her throat and, instead, reveled in the look on Chris's face. He hadn't anticipated this, she knew, but then, she hadn't anticipated his entire charade with Barbie Blank. So if he wanted to fight fire with fire, she could do that and she could do it better than he could. This was going to become a test of wills to see how far the other would go with their respective…partners…no, pawns.

"With…" Chris started to say something angrily, but then he returned to the cool demeanor that she detested. "Well, if that's what you want, I'm glad I could be the one to find someone for you. I'm sure it's difficult, what with you being who you are."

She didn't know what he meant by that, but it didn't sound complimentary. She narrowed her eyes and asked him, "What do you mean?"

"Just that it must be hard for anyone to approach you," he told her, "since you seem so untouchable."

"Is that how I come across?" she asked, uncrossing and then crossing her legs again as she leaned forward. "I like to think I'm extremely approachable…it just depends on who wants to approach."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," he told her. Then he seemed to remember himself and the purpose for his visit. "Look, I don't care who you're fucking, what you're doing isn't right and you know it."

"Again, I have no idea what you're talking about," she said coolly.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about," he sneered. "Everyone is talking about how it was brought up at the production meeting that you are thinking about putting the belt on The Miz. I thought once you got rid of that lump of shit you called your husband that things would be fair, but no, now you're going to skew things for your little boy-toy."

"I think Mike has earned his way to be considered as one of our top guys," she told him.

"On what planet!" he exclaimed. "You cannot be serious with this. I refuse to believe you're actually serious with this. You're favoring him because you're probably fucking him or something! I cannot believe you would even suggest that he gets the title, do you know how many guys deserve it over him!"

"You're thinking of anyone specific?" she wondered. "Someone like…you? Is that what you want, Chris? Are you upset because you think you should have the title?"

"I deserve it more than he does!"

"I don't see why you think you're better than him," she told him. "I mean, have you see Mike. He's a lot younger than you for one, which is a huge plus-"

"You don't even…" He looked like he was about to combust and she was wondering if she could make him combust in a different way. "Age has nothing to do with it unless you're talking experience, which I, and a shit-ton of other wrestlers have and you're just going to give him the title because you happen to like him?"

"Chris, I don't know why you don't believe in him like some of the others do and I don't know why you came in here to complain about it. I don't play favorites and if I did, I don't think I'd be so obvious about it, but let's face it, you're getting old and unless you can prove that you're not some washed-up has-been-"

"What did you just say to me?" he fumed, staring at her intensely. She stood up and leaned in closer to him.

"I think you heard me just fine. It's time to get some _new_ blood into the World and WWE championships and last time I checked, the only thing young about you was the things you fucked," she explained to him, "unless I'm totally missing the point and her vagina is the fountain of youth."

He bit his lip and she gave him an almost cheesy grin. She didn't think that Chris was sleeping with Barbie, but it could possibly bruise his ego if he admitted that he wasn't. Chris, like her, seemed to be a very sexual being. She liked sex and she enjoyed it when she had sex. Chris probably did as well and to admit that he wasn't boning Barbie might make him appear as if he wasn't good enough to get her into bed. She knew she almost had him caught in a web he couldn't dig himself out from.

"It's none of your business what I do in my bedroom unless you want to come into my bedroom," he challenged her, but she was too smart for him.

"Sorry, but Barbie's not my type, I leave fucking her to…everyone," Stephanie said, "I figure getting in there is easier than getting walking under the St. Louis Arch, big and wide open."

"Speaking from experience?"

"You want to come see?" Stephanie asked.

He licked his lips and looked down her shirt briefly. She wished she had unbuttoned one more button on her blouse so she would really be giving him an eyeful, but hindsight was a bitch. At least there was still something for him to look at it and he certainly had checked her out. She was going to have him eating out of the palm of her hand soon and Mike was going to be her one-way ticket to Chris's pants being on her floor.

"If you give Mike the strap, you'll regret it," he told her, straightening up and turning around, intending to storm out of the office. He flung open the door and almost knocked right into Beth, who was standing on the other side, poised to knock. Chris brushed past her without a word or a glance and Beth just stared at him before going into Stephanie's office and jerking her thumb towards the door.

"What's up his ass?"

"He's just mad," Stephanie said smugly.

"What did you do this time?" Beth asked. "Is your little thing with Mike working? I heard that you were thinking about giving him the World or WWE title, you can't be serious, can you?"

"Of course not, do you really think I'd give_ him_ the title? The guy isn't even worthy of the Intercontinental title, let alone any of the major ones. I just want it to get under Chris's thing and I believe it has. You should have seen him in here. He said if I put the belt on Mike, I'd regret it. It almost makes me want to do it just to see what he does."

"Why do I have a feeling that it's you picturing him on top of you, 'punishing' you for putting the belt on Mike?" Beth told her.

"It was not…okay, so maybe it was, but he's playing this game just as hard as I am," Stephanie said, "which I both love and hate about him. I love that he's as competitive as I am, but I hate that he's not already fucking me. I don't think he's fucking the worthless piece of bleached blond Barbie doll, but I don't want us, this thing between us, to get to the point where he starts sticking it in her. God knows I don't want Barbie's sloppy seconds."

"Well, if that's something you're worried about, don't, because someone has been doing a little detective work because someone looks out for her friends," Beth said suggestively.

"You have not!" Stephanie said, her mouth opening. "Beth, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing, it's just that Barbie will _not_ stop bragging about Chris this and Chris that and how sweet Chris is that it was sickening me. Apparently Chris is the sweetest guy on the planet, but I'm not sure she would know what a bad guy is because to Barbie anything with a dick is good enough for her. But, and get this, she said that Chris wants to take it slowly and doesn't feel the need to sleep with her and that he respects her so much that they barely even kiss."

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me," Stephanie guffawed, but deep down was a little relieved that her suspicions had been correct and that he wasn't sleeping with the enemy so to speak.

"That's what she said and she thought it was utterly adorable that he would care so much about her like that," Beth said, "which I interpreted in that Chris doesn't want anything to do with her and is totally trying to make you jealous or something close to it."

"I knew he wasn't doing her," Stephanie said. "Thanks for the information, Beth, if you weren't already pretty much the best female wrestler around here, I'd probably give you a push. Nice to know that Chris isn't fucking her though. It makes the situation with Mike more interesting though."

"How so?"

"Well, if Chris isn't doing much more than occasionally making out with Barbie, if that, then it would certainly raise his ire if he were to see me making out with Mike. He was already so upset with the mere idea of me giving Mike the belt."

"I think it's because he wants you and it has nothing to do with the belt," Beth told her. "He's just using the belt as an excuse because he wanted to come see you and probably question why you're even with Mike, even though he's the one that set you guys up."

"He never anticipated that I would 'like' Mike, that's what's got him so upset. He probably thinks that he went too far. Or he knows and he's just trying to play it like he's getting angry so that I'll go to him and act like I'm sorry for making him so upset."

"Except if that's the case, now you're on to him."

"Yes, and I think I should go find my new boyfriend."

"I think you should," Beth winked at her and Stephanie laughed, walking past Beth, patting her on the shoulder as she passed. Stephanie walked out of the hallway, grabbing the lip gloss she always carried in her pocket and putting some on her lips as she looked around. She was looking for Mike and she found him talking with John Cena at the end of the hallway, closer to the gorilla. She smirked and walked over to him, surprising him by kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey, Mike, just thought I'd come see what you were up to," Stephanie said, "do you maybe want to walk with me?"

"Yeah, sure, babe," he said, getting awfully comfortable with her. She didn't say anything though, just allowed him to grab her hand and say his goodbye to John. "So I've been hearing some rumors."

"Oh, don't listen to rumors, they're all junk," she cut him off before he could even continue and think that he was getting anywhere close to the titles. "I hate when people gossip, it's one of the worst things about being backstage and I just don't want to hear it."

"Okay, yeah, yeah, I won't say anything," he told her and she smiled coyly at him. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Chris walking down the hallway, Barbie hanging off his arm like a pet poodle or something. Stephanie, thinking quickly, slammed Mike against the wall and pressed her lips against his, running her fingers up into his hair and pulling him into a deeper kiss. Mike appeared startled for a moment before he started kissing her back. Stephanie slit her eyes open a little just to look over at Chris, who she saw had stopped in his tracks and was staring angrily at the two of them. Satisfied, she went back to kissing Mike who, though not a bad kisser per se, was not doing anything for her.

But she was certainly doing something to Chris.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, enjoy and review if you want! :)

* * *

Stephanie pulled her robe tighter against her body before knotting the belt. She was spending the night in. Mike had wanted to take her out, probably thought he was going to get lucky or something, but she'd shot that idea down. He was of no use to her when Chris wasn't around. She rolled her eyes as she recalled the puppy-dog look Mike had tried to give her to get her to agree. She hated when men did that, acted like all they had to do was give a look and she would automatically give in.

That's what made her little game with Chris so fun. Chris didn't give her the look. Chris was a fighter, like she was and he didn't give looks; he wasn't some lovesick fool and when she won their game, she knew he wouldn't feel bad about losing because he'd fought as a fierce competitor and not a little jackass like Mike was turning out to be. So tonight, she would stay in and hopefully Mike wouldn't call and try to be pathetic around her again or she might have to find someone that made Chris even more jealous.

She climbed onto her bed, sinking into the thick pillows and grabbed the book next to her. Even evil geniuses like herself needed some downtime every now and then. And now that she was positive Chris wasn't actually boning that squinty-eyed, bubble-headed whore, she could rest easier at night and wouldn't have to think about Chris actually laying down with that girl. If he had slept with her, she might have to have him get a full chemical peel just to get the whore off of him. She smiled lightly to herself as she pulled her book into her lap and started reading, letting the words swirl around her and transport her to another place for at least a little while.

She was fully engrossed in her book when there came a knock at her door. She looked up at said door like it had knocked itself, but when the second knock came, she bit her lip. She contemplated just ignoring it, but since she was on the road and not at home, her job extended to after hours. She couldn't tell you how many times people had come to her at all hours of the night with their problems. Most of the times, she rebuffed them angrily, but sometimes, every once in a while, it was a legitimate incident and she needed to address it as the boss. So this time, like every other time, she couldn't ignore it.

She threw her book down angrily on the bed and then stood up, making sure her robe was adjusted and tight around her waist. She padded her way to the door and looked through the peephole. Immediately upon seeing Mike, she knew this was not a work-related incident, but something personal and she could not believe he would have the audacity to see her out at her room when she'd specifically told him that she wanted to be alone tonight. He was relentless and not in a good way.

She threw open the door and gave him her most annoyed look, which wasn't difficult considering that she _was_ annoyed. "Mike, what are you doing here?" she asked him joylessly.

"Well, since you didn't want to go out, I thought I could stay in with you."

"And apparently you don't get the meaning of alone, do you?" she asked because she'd specifically told her that she wanted to spend the night alone and not with him, alone, which meant solitary, was his vocabulary that minute that he couldn't even grasp the meaning of alone?

"I know you said alone, but I just couldn't help myself, I was lonely and I wanted to hang out with you," he said, seemingly oblivious to her anger. "You can't fault me for wanting to spend time with you. I want to get to know you more, everything about you."

If she was the kind of girl who genuinely liked romance, she might have found this sweet and would have invited him in and they'd have spent the entire night talking and getting to know each other. She hated romance, didn't want a damn thing to do with it and the line only made her want to gag, not invite him in and do anything with him. It honestly made her want to throw him out on his ass.

"There's not much to know," she told him, hoping that he would get the clue that she didn't want to talk.

"Of course there is," he said and he grabbed her hand and led her to the couch. "I feel like we're dating without even dating."

He wanted something. He must have heard about the title thing; that was the only explanation she'd be willing to believe based on this behavior. Everywhere else he was this cocky pissant (reminded her of Chris actually, but a watered-down version of him that she did not want) so her only deduction was that he had gotten a hold of the rumors and, turning them around in his mind all evening, wanted to butter Stephanie up so it would happen. She'd be damned if it happened under her watch though and him coming here only made her want him farther away from the titles.

"We've been going out for what, a week?" Stephanie said, seriously not sure of how much time she'd wasted pretending to actually have feelings for this guy. "In a week, how are you supposed to know very much about someone?"

"Yeah, I know, but well, I just thought that it might be nice to hang out, just away from other people, really get to know the us that isn't in front of the cameras." Here he moved to the couch and actually sat down and made himself comfortable. She couldn't believe his nerve. First, he comes here after she explicitly told him that she didn't want to be around anyone tonight and now, after she had told him again she wanted to be alone, he was making himself comfortable. If he wasn't careful, he would find himself jobbing to Zack Ryder. "I'm really not like I project myself on camera."

"Oh yeah?" Stephanie asked, folding her arms in front of her, "is that so?"

"It is so," Mike said. "I guess I feel like I have to play the jerk in order to get noticed, don't you ever feel like you're not who you are?"

Well, he had her there because a lot of the time she was _nicer_ than she usually was. That was neither here nor there though and she still wanted him out of her room. "I am who I am and I've never been apologetic for it before."

"I should have expected nothing less," Mike laughed. "You've always come across as in charge and being very assertive, not that there's anything wrong with that. I like it as a matter of fact. There's something just really cool about a chick who's not afraid to be who she is."

Now he was sucking up. One small, tiny part of her thought that maybe he was actually being sincere, but she'd been around too many men to find his words at all charming. "Well that's me," she told him, her voice holding no inflection whatsoever. Unfortunately, even though he was annoying, she needed him as her pawn against Chris and she couldn't afford to alienate him, but that didn't mean she had to go along with his stupid plan.

"And I really like that about you," he said. "You don't have to stand there, you know, I'm not about to pounce you or anything. I mean, if that's what you want-"

"It's not what I want," she told him.

He chuckled, "I was joking, Steph."

"Oh," she said.

"Seriously though, I'm not going to bite, I swear," he told her, biting his lip and patting the spot next to him.

"I'm fine where I am," she told him, not wanting to even be close to him. She didn't trust him in the slightest.

"Are you sure?"

"I was just lying down, I guess my legs need some circulation," she said and it sounded lame, but he just nodded his head.

"Well, like I said, you do what you want to do and I respect you for that. You're not like any of the other divas-"

"Maybe that's because I'm _not_ a diva," she pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right, I should have rephrased that. I'm just surrounded by all the divas and while they're really nice, sometimes you just need a break from all that drama. And believe me, there's a lot of drama with the divas. You're above that and it's nice to be with someone who's mature enough not to get caught up in that drama."

"Well, I have work I need to do so I don't have time to hang out with the divas."

"You do a great job at what you do, I can't imagine doing what you do day in and day out."

"Well thanks," she said, trying to remain short with him. Even his compliment annoyed her because they just felt completely fake to her. There was something so fake about Mike, but she couldn't put her finger on just what bothered her. She was saved a moment later when there was another knock on her door and she was actually glad for this interruption. "Excuse me," she said politely, but as soon as her back was to him, she rolled her eyes so hard it actually hurt.

She walked to the door, glad for the distraction and she peeked through the peephole again. She nearly gasped as she saw Chris standing there. He didn't look happy, but he never seemed to look happy when he was dealing with her; jealousy apparently made him look angrier than usual. She casually opened her robe a little bit more, letting her bra peek through and then deciding she might as well, she pulled it a little further so her underwear was showing as well. She might as well give him a good look at what he was trying to stay away from.

She pulled open the door and smirked, "Chris, don't you think it's a little late to be coming around hotel rooms?"

Chris looked at her a moment, appraising her. She could tell because she could feel his eyes roaming over her body, skimming against her skin and burning a trail from her neck, to her breasts to her stomach and lower. She wondered if he was envisioning her naked. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"Work-related stuff," he answered and she ran her fingers up and down the collar of her robe, letting her fingers dance off her skin.

"It's late, anything work-related can wait until tomorrow when I'm actually _at_ work," she told him. She knew this might not have anything to do with work, but she wanted him to admit to her. She wanted him to tell her that he was here because he wanted her. She would settle for nothing less than that.

"Well, maybe I didn't want to wait," he told her.

"You never _have_ to wait," she told him. "You just have to tell me what it's regarding and I'm sure that we can…work something out. If it's something you _have_ to do, then by all means, you should just _do it_."

He scoffed a tiny bit, just the tiniest bit and his demeanor changed entirely, "What makes you think it's something I _have_ to do?"

She shrugged one shoulder carelessly, only succeeding in making the robe slip off her shoulder a little farther. "Because you're here…at night…when you should be in your room or off with your little girlfriend and yet…here you are, Chris, here you are. I'd say that's a whole lot of _need_."

"Maybe I don't have the time tomorrow. Maybe I have a day planned with my girlfriend and so I thought I could come talk to you tonight."

"Convenient that," she said.

"Yeah, so let's talk," he pushed past her and she swore that he deliberately brushed her breasts as he passed. She tried to ignore the little hairs on the back of her neck that stood up as he did that. Damn him, thinking he could covertly turn her on. She followed him and was stunned to find that she had completely forgotten Mike was there. "Oh, you're not alone."

"I wasn't, no," Stephanie said, watching as Chris's eyes flashed to hers. She leveled her gaze at him and she could see that fire from earlier starting again, burning against his blue eyes, burning into her skin. He was really not very good at hiding his feelings, really not very good at all. "Mike decided to come over and talk and hang out."

"Hey, Chris, uh, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to discuss business with Stephanie so get the hell out of here," Chris ordered him.

"I don't think you're in the position to send him away," Stephanie said, "we were having a nice discussion, Mike was being very…complimentary."

"I'm sure he was," Chris said and he was steaming now and Stephanie loved it. She actually might like Mike after this. Then she looked over at him and he was practically drooling over her because she hadn't bothered to adjust her robe. Another strike against him. While Chris looked at her with searing passion, Mike was looking at her like she was a piece of meat.

"He was, he's so sweet," Stephanie said, grinning at Mike and Chris looked like he wanted to haul Mike out of here and throw him out on his ass, literally. She kind of wanted to see that happen.

"Well, I guess I'll just leave you two alone then," Chris said, keeping his voice at even keel.

"I'll show you out," Stephanie said, pressing her hand to the small of his back, startling him as he made his way to the door. She opened it for him and he stepped out.

"This isn't over, Stephanie," Chris told her.

"It's only over when you say it is, Chris, goodnight."

She slammed the door in his face.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, things are really starting to heat up, hope you enjoy, and reviews are always appreciated, even just a few words. :)

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"Are you free now?"

Stephanie looked up from her desk and the smirk that crossed her face was glorious. She hadn't expected Chris back in her presence so soon, but she figured that he simply could not get enough of her. She couldn't blame him after the night before. She'd looked especially tantalizing if she did say so herself. With her robe open and her underwear being so inviting, it was any wonder he'd been able to keep away from her until the afternoon.

"Does it look like I'm free?" she asked haughtily, just to keep him going. There was something so arousing about messing with Chris. It was probably the blatant look of frustration that always crossed his face when she did it. Maybe it wasn't even a look of frustration, but just blue balls that was keeping him so angry all the time. If only he would give in, she would take care of it.

"I don't ever know when you're little boy-toy is hanging around," Chris bit back at her and she shrugged a little with her right shoulder. "I wouldn't want to interrupt like I was doing last night."

"Oh believe me, you didn't interrupt anything," Stephanie told him, making sure to act coy so that Chris _did_ think that something happened. In truth, as soon as Chris had left, Stephanie had nearly shoved Mike out the door. She had no more use for him that evening and with the look he was giving her, she wanted nothing more to do with him. If he wasn't so good at making Chris jealous, she would have absolutely cut him loose by now.

"No? So I guess Miz isn't man enough for that yet?"

"He's more than man enough, that's not the problem," Stephanie shook her head, "but Chris, why are you asking, do _you_ want some of Mike?"

Chris nearly gagged and made a face, "Please, Barbie is more than enough for me."

"Yes, yes, I'm so sure she is, what with the sparkling wit and I'm sure innocent nature," Stephanie said, "how's that peeing in sinks thing going for her anyways? Is that like a thing she does, does it mean she's marking her territory?"

She didn't know when they got so blatant with their insults of the other's significant others (if you could call them that), but that's what they'd been reduced to. Maybe it was because they couldn't find fault in the other person. Stephanie hated to admit it, but Chris really was the perfect man for her. He didn't take things lying down and she had to admire him for that; sure, she hated him a little for that as well, but in the end, she did have some admiration for him.

"Like you've never done anything you regret while drunk?"

"Is that her excuse? And here I thought she just didn't have any manners, my mistake," Stephanie said. "But I do hope she has broken the habit, is she moved onto beds now, do you have to change the sheets every night…oh wait, that's right, you two haven't slept together."

"Sex doesn't make a relationship," Chris argued, but Stephanie knew the reason he didn't want to have sex with Barbie was because…well, she was Barbie. Stephanie could list off a number of guys right this second who that little twit had slept with. And if she knew, then there was a 100% chance that Chris knew and he didn't seem like the type of guy to take sloppy 52nds.

"It makes it more fun," she told him. "I mean, there's just something about intimacy, don't you think?"

She bit her lip a little, like she was lost in her own world. She took a quick peek at Chris and it appeared like he was leaning forward, as if he wanted to hear more, like her voice was drawing him in. She wouldn't be surprised if he sat his ass down so he could hear what she had to say. Maybe he would put it in his memory banks and use it when she finally broke him down.

"I mean, sure, words and feelings are great, but there's nothing like the touch of someone else, just teasing at first, soft caresses all over your skin, making the hairs stand on end. Then the anticipation of what's to come, knowing that this is building towards something more. How can you possibly beat that feeling? I don't think you can," she told him. "I don't think there's any way that mere words can make up for that touch. But hey, if you and Barbie are happy being celibate, who am I to judge?"

"And you and Mike are, I assume, doing it every chance you get?" Chris was obviously not convinced that this was the truth. Stephanie stood from her seat and walked around to the front of her desk, leaning back on it, her hands splayed across the wooden top as she crossed her legs in front of her, a move that did not go unnoticed by Chris. But Chris noticed everything, those blue eyes like predators, catching every movement of their supposed prey.

"If we are, I fail to see how that's any of your business," she told him. "I mean, there are ways I guess you could make it your business, but I've never been one who wanted to have a threesome."

"Oh no, I figured you would be up for that, more than up for that considering…"

She scoffed, "Please, like I would let anyone share me. If you're with me, you're _with_ me."

She was telling him in no uncertain terms that if it came down to the two of them, it would be the two of them. She wasn't a two-timer, she wasn't a whore, she was Stephanie fucking McMahon and the right to touch her body was reserved for few. She already regretted that she let Paul get his dirty hands on her. She knew she wouldn't regret Chris's hands on her body, but she wasn't going to beg like some desperate girl.

"Is that so?"

"It's of course so, which is more than I can say for Barbie, she probably has someone or someones on the side."

"Well, we can't all have a little loyal lapdog willing to run around and do whatever we want."

"Don't you remember, Chris, that you set me and Mike up?" Stephanie reminded him. "Why are you so bent out of shape over it? Because I couldn't talk to you last night? Is that why or is there some other reason?"

"He's a slime," Chris told her, stepping closer to her. "He's a no-good, piece of shit and you refuse to see it. Or maybe you do see it, but you need your pussy filled so bad that you're willing to overlook it."

"Like I'm the only one around here who associates with slime," Stephanie stepped up to him. "At least Mike hasn't slutted himself around the entire roster. Barbie is two people away from getting STD bingo from everyone around here!"

"Don't talk about her like that!"

"Don't talk about Mike like that then!" She didn't even know why they were arguing right now. It wasn't like she cared a whit about Mike and she couldn't imagine that Chris had any real feelings for Barbie. God, that was the most disgusting thought she could have right now; Chris wanting Barbie, there was just no way!

"I'll talk about him any way I like! You should hear how he goes on about you in the locker room!"

"Oh, well, Barbie is my new best friend so I have to hear her go on and on and on and on about you and do you think that's fun for me. The girl is a _child_, Chris, she's barely into her 20's and yet she's the biggest slut I've ever seen, she's going to look like an over-age streetwalker in about five years and can we say canyon down there."

"You mean like Paul said-"

She poked him in the chest, "You know that was for the show."

"How do I know it's not true?"

"You want me to show you right now?" she challenged him and now they were right back to where they started this little game. It was never going to really be about Mike or Barbie, but about the two of them and this insane need for control. Sure, they could have already been fucking by now and it probably would have been great, but now it would be spectacular.

"And who's the whore?" Chris asked.

"I just need to prove to you that I'm not whatever you're thinking of me right now," Stephanie said sweetly. "I don't like being called names like that. I can assure you that I'm tighter than that loose-lipped girl you insist on dating."

"How do you know she's not tight?"

"How do _you_ know she _is_?" Stephanie asked him.

Chris smirked, "I may not have had sex with the girl, but you don't know how far we _have_ gone."

"Well even better for me then because then you can compare and realize what a real good one is supposed to feel like," she smirked and then licked her lips.

Chris was bolder than she realized as he came forward a little more and forced her to sit back on her desk, her legs dangling slightly as she sat on the edge of the desk. His hand reached forward, resting on her knee. She stared down at it for a second before she looked back up at him. He was looking at her like he was daring her to do something about this, but she said nothing and did nothing.

His hand slowly started moving over her skin, just the way she had spoken of earlier, the hairs on her arms starting to stand on end and she took a deep, slow breath as if prolonging the moment. It was torturous how slow his hand was moving from her knee up her leg. It finally reached the hem of her skirt and then slid underneath it until his hand was nearly on her upper thigh. His hands were really like nothing else. They were calloused from years of wrestling, but that only made them hotter in her opinion. The way the rough touch felt on her silky skin was nearly setting her on fire.

His hand stopped on her upper thigh and he stared at her so intensely that it felt like he was seeing right through her, right through every cell in her body and the blue was so smoldering she felt on fire simply from a touch. God, she knew they'd be good together, but she had no idea they'd be _this_ good together. He was only touching her, not even intimately and her body was aching to launch itself at him. Any of her senses were totally compromised and she just knew she'd won, she'd made him break so much that he was here and touching her.

She urged him on with her look, just looking up at him slightly through heavy-lids. He took this as the invitation that it was and he stepped forward even more. Her legs parted slightly so he could stand between them and she felt his other hand on her other leg moving and causing her skirt to bunch up slightly as both his hands were on her upper thighs. She wondered which one would go in for the kill. She doubted that Barbie had ever been touched like this by Chris or really touched at all so she took satisfaction in the knowledge that she was getting more than Barbie ever did.

Chris tilted his head a little and studied her and she stared back at him as his face inched closer to her. She licked her lips again and anticipated his lips on hers. He leaned in closer and closer until his lips were just brushing hers, so lightly she could barely even feel it except for the fact that everything felt heightened in that moment. She softly groaned, wanting more than this teasing touch against her lips. She leaned forward to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away a little and she growled and tried to kiss him again, but he just pulled back and smiled. Then his hands were gone from her thighs.

"Sorry, Steph, I'm with Barbie," he said smugly and she nearly combusted as he winked at her. He'd set her up!

If this kept up any longer, one of them was ending up dead.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, enjoy! :)

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"I hate him!"

Beth laughed shortly, but she kept it inward because she knew her friend could be volatile if irritated and since she was already irritated, she didn't want to provoke her any further. She was obviously upset about Chris, but Beth had no idea _why_ she was upset. Something had happened, but when Beth walked in here, all Stephanie could do was pace and mutter to herself so Beth sat down and waited for her to calm down.

"Mike?" Beth asked.

"Mike?" Stephanie said, giving her an incredulous look, like Mike was the last thing on her mind and it was true, he was the last thing on her mind, he was usually the last thing on her mind because she could care less about him. "I don't give a shit about that guy. For all I care he could go fall in a ditch or something."

"Okay, not Mike then," Beth said, her voice fading as she retracted the statement about Mike. She knew that Stephanie was only with Mike to make Chris jealous, but she also knew that Mike had annoyed her so she didn't think it was so far-fetched to think he was the cause of her ire. "Is it Chris?"

"Don't even say _his_ name!" Stephanie snapped, then took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be snapping at you. You aren't the one who is driving me crazy. I swear to God, I hate that asshole, I wish I had never met him. He could go fall in the same ditch that Mike should fall in."

"What happened?" Beth asked.

"Everything!"

"Wait, you had sex with him!" Beth was intrigued now. Stephanie had been going after Chris so hard for the past few weeks and she would have expected Stephanie to be ecstatic about the new situation. It was what she wanted after all. "I would have thought you'd be happier about that."

"No, I didn't have sex with him, the bastard," Stephanie muttered again. "He comes in here and he acts like he wants to have sex with me, teasing me, then he stops and says he's with the stupid, little whore."

"He teased you?"

"He had me on my desk and he was…well let's just say his hands were exploring, but they never reached their destination and the bastard has the audacity to just stop cold. He just stopped, told me he was with that stupid Slutty Barbie doll, and then he leaves, leaves me hanging."

"Oh," Beth said for lack of anything better to say. She liked Stephanie a lot. She was the only one around here who didn't bullshit. What you got with Stephanie was what you got with Stephanie. There was nothing else besides what you saw. She liked that in a person. There were too many bullshitters around here, people willing to tell you one thing to your face, but then going behind your back to say something else.

Still, and this was a big still, she couldn't figure out why Chris and Stephanie didn't just admit their feelings to one another. She wasn't the type of person who liked to play games. When she wanted something, she went out and got it, by force if necessary. She hadn't made it to where she was based on looks; she had the drive and talent to get where she was. Maybe they thought it was fun, this game of tug-of-war, but it seemed fruitless to her in the end. Why not just cut through all that bullshit and get to what was fun, the sex?

"Like I'm some sort of cheap slut, he comes in here and puts his hands all over me, like he can just _do_ that or something."

"Are you sure you aren't just mad because he left you unsatisfied? I'm sure you don't _hate_ him, I mean, you're the one who kind of started this," Beth said tentatively. "You knew that if he found out about your game he would retaliate."

"Well he's playing dirty now. First, he actually pretends like he likes that stupid slut, then he sets me up with that wet blanket, now he's downright luring me in and teasing me! There's got to be something I can do. There has to be _some_ way I can get back at him for that," Stephanie said, her face becoming more and more calculating. "I have to think of something, some way…"

"Maybe just tell him how you feel, tell him you want to be with him," Beth suggested, knowing that Stephanie would never actually take that advice. Stephanie would probably rather die than just go and admit she was attracted to Chris.

"That's just giving up. I want him to come to me begging on his hands and knees."

"But why? You'll probably already have the upper-hand in the relationship when you two do get together. Why not just get what you want now and figure the rest out later. I'm not saying this will happen, but what if Chris spends more and more time with Barbie and realizes that he is maybe sort of attracted to her."

"Ridiculous," Stephanie stated with a snort. "There's no way he could ever fall for that bimbo. She takes the definition of dumb blonde and makes it even worse. She's in her own category of dumb. They should just put Barbie in the dictionary for the dumbest thing to ever walk the Earth."

"Okay, I won't argue with that," Beth said and she couldn't, Barbie was her own special brand of stupid, "but you can't be deaf to the things said about her. A lot of the wrestlers find her attractive and would probably want a chance at her so, you know, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for him to…I don't know, find her attractive at some point if whatever you two are doing doesn't end up resulting in anything."

"No, that can't happen," Stephanie said, "why would he want her when he can have me?"

"Because maybe he doesn't think he can _have_ you. You haven't told him what your intentions are. For all he knows, you're just teasing him and he'll never get you. Besides, he's a guy, they think about sex like, what did that statistic say, every eight seconds or something crazy like that? If he's not getting any, why would he wait for you when there's something easy right there next to him?"

"You're not helping, Beth," Stephanie told her.

"I'm trying to. You're my friend, Steph, and I don't want you to get hurt. I know the thing with Paul didn't exactly make you feel all warm and fuzzy coming out of it."

"I'm not going to get hurt," Stephanie decided. "I don't know why you think I'm going to get hurt. Chris will definitely crack, I just need to think of something that will make him do so. I need him to fall at my feet."

"Okay then," Beth said. She was talking to a wall at this point. There was no getting through to Stephanie when she got like this. It was just better to let her think her own thoughts and do her own thing.

"Hey babe!" Mike said jovially, just waltzing into the room. That was his first mistake and Beth knew that Stephanie was not one to let even a single mistake go. Stephanie turned to face him and her face was full of fire and there was only one target right now.

"Don't call me babe," Stephanie told him in no uncertain terms. "My name is Stephanie."

"Okay," Mike said slowly, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tonight. I thought I could take you out, it would be my treat of course. We just haven't really gotten to go out or anything and I thought it would be a nice, special thing if we went out for a maybe romantic dinner."

Even Beth was rolling her eyes. Mike seemed like an okay guy by some standards, but not by Stephanie's standards. Mike was like a little boy trying to play with the big kids. He was so out of his element with Stephanie that he was really just better off giving up and leaving it alone at this point. She also couldn't figure out why he was so clueless when it came to the obvious chemistry between Chris and Stephanie. Barbie she could understand, that girl wouldn't know a lightbulb if it was hanging in her face, but Mike always seemed fairly cognizant of what was going on around him. How could this render him so dumb?

"I don't want to go out with you," Stephanie told him point blank.

"Oh, okay, did you want to do it some other time."

"I don't want to do it at any other time," Stephanie told him and Beth kind of felt sorry for Mike now. He was really in the lioness's den with this one.

"What?"

"I don't want to be with you any longer," Stephanie told him. "So I'm ending this relationship, if that's what you can call it, right now. I don't want to go to dinner with you, I don't want you making surprise visits to my hotel room, I want you to leave me alone. Do you understand that? Is it clear enough for you?"

"Where is this coming from? I thought we were having fun," Mike was confused. This seemed to be coming out of nowhere to him.

"Maybe you were, I'm not, I don't think I ever was, so you can just leave me alone now," Stephanie said, waving him out of the room.

"But-"

"I said go away!" Stephanie told him, rolling her eyes. Mike was still confused, but knew when not to mess with Stephanie and he quietly left and then looked back to Beth. "Don't look at me like that, Beth, it had to be done. He was not my boyfriend, he was just a guy that Chris set me up with to piss me off and a guy I used to piss Chris off."

"So does this mean that you will just go tell Chris what you feel?"

"Hell no," Stephanie said, "it just means I let go of a 220 pound saddlebag that was holding me back. He made Chris jealous, sure, but I just can't have that anymore. I need something, something that is just going to drive Chris insane, drive him insane, but not drive him away."

"I still think you're going about this the wrong way. It seems pretty clear that he wants you. It probably wouldn't take much to break him down. He'll probably be all over you even if you just tell him what you want."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Maybe I should tell him I know what he's doing, but I'm not falling for it anymore. I mean, that could work, right?"

Beth sighed, "That's pretty much the _opposite_ of what I just said, Stephanie. How would telling him you don't want him make him want you more?"

"Because then I would be like a challenge and if he comes after me, then I would just turn him away. That was the problem today, I think. He thought that I would just fall into his arms and I pretty much demonstrated that earlier when he was touching me. I almost gave in, but I have to show that I wouldn't give in, even under his worst temptations. Then he'll be forced to go after me."

"Or be forced right into the arms of Barbie."

"Beth, come on, when you can have _this_," Stephanie gestured towards herself, "why in the world would you want Barbie? Everyone and their father has been with Barbie, she's more open than the St. Louis Arch. Why would you want someone who has been with pretty much everyone you've ever worked with, someone who has probably been with my _father_. I'm not stupid enough to think my father hasn't at least tried to get a crack at that."

Beth laughed at that, "You could be making a very bad decision here, Stephanie."

"Or I could be making just the right one."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone, really appreciate them and I'm starting to feel this story winding down a little so we'll see how things go and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

* * *

She knew what she was planning might not work, but sometimes you had to take a huge risk in order to get a richer reward. That was her thought process when she thought about the execution of her idea. It wasn't so much a plan as a way of thinking. She still wanted Chris, but she shouldn't push so hard. It made her look desperate and the last thing she wanted to look like was some desperate bimbo akin to Barbie. She had class, which that other girl probably thought was some kind of tangible class at school.

"Stephanie."

She looked up at the object of her machinations and then turned a blind eye to him, continuing to walk. She could feel Chris's eyes follow her as she walked away and she smirked to herself. That was perfect. He was sure to think she was ignoring him and she was. She was showing him that she didn't need him and that he _did_ need her.

She felt self-satisfied when she finally got to her office, setting down her paperwork and taking a seat. She'd have to meet up with her father later when the show was on, but for now she had enough time to sit and work quietly in her office. Well, she would have been working quietly if the door hadn't opened and she sighed at who was coming inside.

"Paul, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I work here," he tried to joke, but she didn't laugh, "I just wanted to talk to you. Is that okay? Am I still allowed to do that?"

She hated when he did that, asked silly questions in that pouty way. She'd hated it when they were together and she hated it now. It wasn't cute or charming, it smacked of ignorance and annoyance. "Did I ever tell you that you couldn't ask me things?"

"No."

"Then out with it," Stephanie told him, placing her pen down so she could feign that she was giving him her undivided attention. She wasn't really, but she could act like she was. "I don't have all day, Paul, so you're going to have to just tell me."

"I heard that you were with Mike Mizanin," Paul said. "I mean, you know, you hear things around here, I wasn't sure if it was true and I never really saw the two of you together around-"

"I was with him, yes," she cut off his pathetic ramble. She couldn't understand why he would reiterate something she already knew and she hoped that he wasn't here to lecture her on younger men or something ridiculous like that.

"With? As in the past?"

"Yes, I dumped him, I decided that he wasn't worth my time any longer," she said pointedly, hoping he would understand that she felt the same way about him. She didn't have time for Paul's little games and she didn't want him back and she wished he would just move the hell on before she made him move on forcibly. She didn't know what it would take to get him off her back.

"Oh, okay," Paul said, "are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" she asked.

"Well, I know how difficult it is to break up with someone," Paul said, again looking at her, but she again chose to ignore it. He took a few steps forward and sat down in the chair in front of her, leaning forward a little bit as he rested his hands on his knees. He bowed his head and then looked up at her. "I know how bad it feels to see someone we care about with someone else and I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Again, why wouldn't I be okay?" Stephanie asked. "I'm perfectly happy."

"I hated thinking you were with someone else," Paul admitted and she couldn't believe he was doing this now. They'd been apart for ages now (or a least it seemed that way to her) and she had no desire to ever be with him. She could understand the pull she had for sure, but at some point, didn't he have to go out on his own and leave her alone.

"Paul-"

"No, hear me out. I don't know what happened to us, Steph," he said and he was grating on her last nerve now. She really wished for him to just disappear, float out into thin air and never bother her again. "One minute everything seemed to be going just fine and the next, everything was going to shit. What the hell happened between then and now?"

"A lot," Stephanie told him. "I've told you this a million times and you never fucking listen. I grew out of you. You were this…thing, this thing that made my father angry. You know that's why I got with you, right? Because it pissed off my father and as much as I love my father, I was tired of living under his thumb, that's why I was with you in the first place, but you've served your purpose."

He looked stricken to hear t his even though she'd said it before. It was like every time he asked her the question, he thought he would get a different, better answer. But nothing had changed for her. She still found him abhorring and nothing was going to change her mind on that. If he couldn't face the truth, that was his problem. She knew it was harsh, but sometimes you had to be harsh for someone to learn their lesson.

"So I'm just a purpose then."

"If that makes it easier to tolerate, then yes," Stephanie said, "I'm sick and tired of you coming to me and thinking you will ever be anything to me other than an ex. I'm sorry if I'm being mean, but you never seem to understand that I do _not_ want you anymore. What else can I possibly say other than that?"

"Nothing," Paul said, "I guess there's nothing, but I love you and there are not many people in this world who are going to love you and-"

"Spare me the lecture," Stephanie cut him off again before he went on another tirade.

"Stephanie!" the door burst open and Chris barged in. Stephanie was surprised to say the least, but then realized he probably wanted to talk to her about earlier. Chris looked to Paul sitting there and narrowed his eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm talking to Stephanie, what the hell do you want?" Paul asked.

"Don't talk to him like that," Stephanie told Paul, annoyed now that he thought he could dictate their discussion and who could or could not come into her office. She would love to talk to Chris vastly more than she would suffer through Paul. "What is it, Chris?"

"You're not alone."

"I would appear that I'm not," she said coolly, trying to keep up the persona she'd adopted earlier, but when presented with the choice between Chris and Paul, she would gladly choose the former.

"I guess I can come back," he said, his voice lowering a little bit.

"That probably won't be necessary. If you have some business that needs attending to then by all means, go to my father, he should already be at the gorilla. I'm sure that anything you could say to me could also be said to my father," she told him, knowing full well that whatever it was probably couldn't just be sent off to her father.

"Yeah, get out of here," Paul told Chris in a warning tone that Stephanie didn't like.

"Last time I checked, the two of you weren't joined at the hip," Chris said, puffing his chest out a little as if in warning that he could strike at any moment. This was just what Stephanie needed, the two of them starting some kind of altercation in her office.

"Well, we're talking and you just barge in here like you own the joint, demanding to talk to Stephanie. I'm talking to her so you better get the hell out of here before I make you get out of here."

"Only Stephanie can tell me where to go," Chris said, defying Paul to continue.

"Would you two cut it out?" Stephanie said to the both of them.

"I wasn't doing anything," Chris argued, looking around Paul to her. "He's the one trying to tell me what to do when you two aren't even together anymore."

"We're having a private discussion!" Paul stood up now. "So get the hell out of here!"

"You think you're going to get her back, is that it?" Chris asked. "Is that whey you came in here? To beg the princess for her hand back? You couldn't stand to be away from her or is it the power she came with that you can't stand to be without?"

"Oh, that's it, you fucking bastard, I've put up with your sorry ass for a long time, but now you've done it, you asshole," Paul started storming towards Chris, who was preparing himself for the blow, but Stephanie alighted from her chair quickly and grabbed Paul's arm as he reared it back.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Stephanie yelled at Paul.

"He's a bastard and he fucking deserves it!" Paul answered stormily, his eyes dangerous.

"Stop being a dick," Stephanie told him. "We are over, I have told you that and told you that. If Chris wanted to talk to me, he damn well can. I'd rather talk to him than talk to you, hell, I'd rather talk to _anyone_ else rather than you. I wish you would buy yourself a clue and you threatening to beat up my employee is not endearing to me in any way."

"Stephanie-"

"Get the fuck out!" she screamed at him, shoving him with the arm she was holding, "Or I will have security escort you out and you can take a month-long suspension with you? Am I being clear now?"

"Fine, whatever," Paul said, shoving past Chris hard enough to throw him backwards a step. He glared at Chris over his shoulder before throwing the door open and slamming it behind him, the room echoing with the sound.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Chris asked, smoothing out his t-shirt.

"Unless you have business, I suggest you leave too," Stephanie turned away from him and went back to her desk. She looked up at him briefly to see the look of disbelief on his face. She was glad that had surprised him; that was the intention of the statement.

"I thought we could talk."

"Yes, business," Stephanie repeated. "I have a lot of work to do and if you don't have anything that is of the direst importance than I'm afraid you're going to need to leave and let me do my job. I don't have time for antics."

"Okay, what the hell was that earlier, ignoring me in the hallway."

"Oh, did I ignore you? My bad," Stephanie said glibly, like it was the last thing on her mind. She could tell that Chris was perplexed and that was exactly where she wanted him. She wanted him to feel so awful without her that he had to dump Barbie and pursue her and confess that he felt for her what she was feeling for him. She wanted the win and now she was playing to his ego. Chris was nothing if not a whole lot of ego.

"What's your problem?"

"I'm working, that's my problem," Stephanie said, "I have a lot of work to do and I don't have time for anything but my work. Besides, don't you have better things to do…or maybe better people to do? You and Barbie have been going at it pretty heavy recently, are you exclusive yet?"

"Maybe," Chris shrugged. "Heard you broke up with Miz last week."

"He wasn't doing it for me anymore. I decided I didn't have time for games any longer," Stephanie made eye contact with him. "I just find them tired and boring and it's not worth the trouble is all."

"It wasn't worth it or he wasn't worth it?"

"Both, I guess," she tapped her pen on her desk. "If that was all you needed, then feel free to let yourself out."

Stephanie went back to her work, but she could feel Chris's eyes focused on her as he stood there for at least three minutes, just watching her. She didn't give him a look even though she was dying to see his face. Her mind kept making these wonderful mental images of shock, horror, disappointment, but she kept herself stock still and didn't dare look up at his face. After a few minutes, he left, the door clicking behind him. She looked up at it and hoped that her plan had worked.

And hoped she hadn't just driven him further into the arms of Barbie Blank.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thanks for the reads and the reviews. I feel like this story is starting to wind down so I think it'll be a few more chapters at the most, but we'll see. I hope you continue to enjoy and reviews would be lovely, thanks. :)

* * *

"So how's it going?"

Stephanie looked up from her cup of coffee. "I don't know, I haven't seen him yet this week so I don't know how it's been going. For all I know, he could be even more with Barbie at this point."

"Do you think he is?" Beth asked as she took a sip of her own coffee. This was a nice respite for Stephanie to get away from the rigors of her job and the even bigger tension that existed between her and Chris. She was starting to think this game was getting a little silly. Chris was a lot harder to break than she'd originally thought and while, to some, that may seem like it was a lost cause, it was anything but that to Stephanie.

In fact, she respected him more knowing that he wasn't so easily broken. She didn't want a man who would let her walk all over him. She wanted a man who would challenge her and be her equal. She liked that about Chris. In a sick way, she liked that he was playing the game so fiercely. It was just going to make it that much better when they got together and she had to be sure they would get together because the alternative simply sucked.

"No, not really," Stephanie said, "and if he is, I believe it's only because he's pissed at me, but I'm almost sure that nothing has changed in their relationship. However, I think something has changed in my relationship with Chris."

"It has? I wasn't aware of that and seeing as how you haven't even seen him this week, you're going to have to explain it to me."

"I think I'm tired of the game. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up, that is _not_ happening, but I think we could probably come to some sort of truth," she winked at her friend so she would understand what she was trying to say and Beth smirked at her.

"Oh, I get it," Beth nodded. "You want to call it off and then just go at it like animals."

Stephanie laughed, "You make us sound like we're going to rip each other's clothes off…okay, we're probably going to rip each other's clothes off."

"I wouldn't mind finding out what's underneath that man," Beth admitted. She wasn't going to pretend to be blind and say that Chris wasn't a hot guy; he absolutely was and if Stephanie got what she wanted (and Beth was sure she would get it), she would be the envy of millions of women around the world.

"I'll let you in on the details," Stephanie laughed.

"So what did you have in mind for what you're going to do to get him to surrender so to speak?" Beth asked curiously. "I figure that it has to be something pretty epic or dramatic because you two have been dancing around each other for so long I'm not sure how you haven't managed to just break already."

"Well, I have a little something in mind, but I don't want to jinx it by talking about it, but let's just say that I'm going to make myself completely irresistible."

Stephanie loved what the picture of Benjamin Franklin on a piece of paper could do. She slipped the keycard into the door, waiting for the little green light and the click before pushing it open. The room was dark and she turned on the light. She could see Chris's suitcase lying unopened on the couch and she listened for a moment, just in case, but she knew Chris was at the show and wouldn't be back until later. Stephanie, who didn't want to draw attention to herself, had left midway through the show so that Chris would see that she was there and not get suspicious if she didn't show up.

She walked into the bedroom, turning on the light in there and looking around for the ice bucket. She found it on a side table near the window and she set the champagne she'd bought from the liquor store a short ways away. She grabbed the ice bucket and her keycard and went back out into the hallway towards the ice machine. When the bucket was full, she went back to the room and put the champagne on ice, letting it chill before Chris got here. She hadn't thought to bring glasses, but that was the least of her worries. She checked her watch and saw that she still had some time so she decided to just lounge on his bed. His match was last so he would probably want to shower afterwards and then come back to the hotel where she would be waiting for him.

She was impatient, though, and kept checking her watching, wondering when he would get there even though the show wasn't even over. Finally, when she knew it was over, she started to undress. She'd worn her sexiest pair of underwear tonight knowing that it would entice Chris. It was a matching bra and panty set, red with black stripes and quite frilly, frillier than anything she usually wore. Still, she had to go all out if Chris was going to fall for her wiles. She had to remind herself that she wasn't trying to play the game anymore, but still claim the prize at the end of it.

She neatly placed her clothes on the nightstand before she laid across his bed. She tried a few different positions, but decided just laying across it would work the best. Then she remembered the lights were on and she got up quickly to turn them all off before getting back to the bed, thankful that the streetlights from outside illuminated her way. The last thing Chris needed to walk in on was her with a stubbed toe, jumping around and cursing. She laid out on the bed again, putting her head in her hand and biting her lip. She had to wait a little longer still, but she could wait it out.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, but obviously couldn't be, Stephanie heard the door click open and she smiled, knowing what was coming. "Thanks for the ride back from the arena, Chris."

Stephanie's eyes widened. What the hell? Damn it, she hadn't taken into account that Barbie might be with him. What was she even doing here? She was supposed to get her own damn ride. Stephanie scrambled quietly from the bed, grabbing her clothes and the champagne as quickly as she could before she slipped into the bathroom, her bare feet padding silently on the cold floor. Her shoes! She put down her clothes on the counter and then put the ice bucket on top of it to muffle the sound of her putting it down before she darted back out into the room, grabbing her shoes and then going back into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack so she could hear the conversation going on in the other room.

"You're welcome," Chris said, "you know it's always my pleasure to take you anywhere you want to go."

"And you took me to McDonald's, you're such a gentleman," Barbie said dreamily. "I was starving."

"And I wouldn't want this pretty face to starve," Chris said to her. Stephanie had to keep from gagging and she wanted nothing more than to pop open that champagne and start chugging it down to at least dull the pain of hearing this insipid conversation.

"You're so sweet," she told him, then there was silence and Stephanie had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from cursing because she could guess why they were so quiet right now and it made her sick to her stomach. "Why don't we go into the bedroom?"

"I don't think so, Barbie, remember what I told you. I want to take it slow with you. I know that guys in the past have just wanted to bed you and then dump you and I'm not that type of guy," Chris said in a voice that Stephanie could only describe as sickly sweet. She rolled her eyes. He could not actually believe this stuff. Had she not figured him out after all? Was this really how he was and she'd misinterpreted everything between them?

"But Chris, I really want to," she whined. "I don't think that we should have to wait if I don't want to wait."

"I just think that it'll be better if we wait," Chris told her. "I respect you and I bet no guy has ever said that to you before, huh?"

"Well, no I guess not," Barbie said, "but don't you think I'm pretty."

"You're a sweet girl," Chris told her and Stephanie was going to go blind from all the times she was rolling her eyes. She wanted to throw herself off the balcony with this tripe. Was Barbie really buying this junk? "I like you for you, not for what you can do for me in bed."

"You are really sweet," Barbie said, "you're like the sweetest guy I've ever known, you know that, you are just like…I don't even know, Chris, but you really, really are just the sweetest guy."

"Thank you, I think you're the sweetest girl," he told her, "I really, _really_ do. I think you're probably the prettiest female in this entire company. I don't think anyone can touch you in that department, that's how pretty I really think you are."

Stephanie could not believe this. Chris thought _Barbie_ was prettier than she was? She was just downright insulted now and one she finished chugging that champagne, she wanted to hit Chris over the head with the bottle. It would serve him right. What the hell was she even doing here? This whole thing was a disaster. If Chris wanted to go through life fucking around with that little idiot, then she was going to let him. This was not a game she wanted to play anymore.

"I'm so lucky," Barbie said. "I guess we can wait because you really, really want to and I think you're really nice and you think I'm pretty and I guess I can wait, but not too long, okay, because I really need it."

"I know you do."

"Will you walk me to my room?"

"You know I will," he told her and Stephanie could hear them shuffling towards the door and she planned her escape. She didn't know where Barbie's room was, but it was probably on a different floor. When she heard the door close, she was going to get dressed, grab the champagne she was planning on downing the moment she got to her hotel room, and get the hell out of here, pretending this disaster had never happened.

"Thank you," Barbie said, "Chris, do you ever think you could…love me?"

"Oh, I can see it as a distinct possibility," Chris said, "you are just that precious to me."

"Oh!" Barbie cried and then there was silence again and this must be the torture she had accrued from all the years of being a bitch to everyone. There was silence, in fact, until she heard the door open and then she waited for the click. She heaved a sigh of relief when she heard it, turning the light on and grabbing the bucket of champagne with the slightly melted ice and setting it down loudly on the counter before getting dressed quickly and huffily. She grabbed the champagne straight from the bucket, not caring that it was dripping all over the place and headed out to leave this horrible place.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here…" Stephanie's head shot up as she saw Chris leaning against the door, a smirk on his face.

"Chris…"

"And Stephanie McMahon I presume," he told her.

"Where's Barbie? I thought you were going to walk her to her room."

"Something suddenly came up and I needed to stay behind," Chris told her, folding his arms. "Care to explain what you're doing here?"

"I…came to talk storylines with you," Stephanie told him defiantly, sticking her chin straight up into the air. She may be caught, but she was going to go down with a fight. "Looks like I found the perfect one though, you and Barbie and an epic romance between Chris Jericho and Kelly Kelly, I'm sure the fans will lap it up. I mean, you do think she's the _prettiest_ girl in the entire company."

"I did say that," he said matter-of-factly. "Where did the champagne factor in?"

"I brought something to drink, sue me," Stephanie said, going forward towards him, "move so I can go, we can just discuss it another time."

"I don't think so," Chris told her. "I think we should just stay right here and discuss these storylines you really wanted to discuss. I think that would be the only fair thing since you decided to slip the clerk downstairs a hundred dollar bill to get in here."

It dawned on Stephanie what Chris had done and she could feel her eyes widening, both in shock and anger as she screeched, "You knew I was here all along!"

"Of course I did," Chris said, "what do you think I am, Stephanie, stupid or something?"

"How did you…what…how did you know?" she asked him, incapable of sounding confident at the moment. It didn't help that she was sputtering, but she was so mad and upset that he'd let her sit there listening in on his conversation.

"I have girls trying to get into my hotel room all the time," Chris said, "don't you think I would tell the clerk ahead of time not to let anyone into my room without my permission. I have them call me if anyone is trying to get into my room. Now imagine my surprise when they call me and ask if a Stephanie McMahon should be allowed in."

That must have been when the clerk had gone away to get the room key. She scowled, "Okay, so you knew I was there, so the fuck what?"

Then another thing dawned on Stephanie. If Chris knew that she was there the entire time, then every word he said to Barbie had been carefully crafted with her in mind. He'd known she was there, had to have known that she'd be waiting there for him because why else would she wanted the key so desperately. He knew what he said would strike every nerve inside her body and _that's_ why he'd said them. So then…they could all be lies?

"Like I said…I'd like to discuss those storylines."


	21. Chapter 21

Stephanie stood there in the doorway, not about to let Chris get the one over on her. She was still pissed about what he'd tried to pull, and she wasn't going to give into him that easily. She folded her arms as she glared at him, her face an impassive mask. Who did he think he was? Did he really think she was just going to go into his room and not bring up his little _joke_? She wanted to bash his brains in right now.

"Well, aren't you going to sit down?" Chris smirked as he patted the spot next to him on the bed.

"No," she snapped at him.

"You sure? You could make yourself comfortable. I have a feeling that's what you were doing before I came in here," he raised his eyebrows suggestively. Then he leaned back and rested his head on his pillow. "Mmm, smells like you."

"Stop being an asshole," she told, not moving from her position in the doorway.

"Now what could you have _possibly_ been proposing storyline-wise while lying in the middle of my bed?" he pretended to ponder, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I mean, there was that affair storyline I proposed a long time ago, the one your ex-husband had such a problem with…could you want to bring that back?"

"I don't want to bring anything back," Stephanie sniped. "How could you just go on and on with _Barbie_ when you knew I was here the entire time?"

"Because it was more fun that way," Chris told her, folding his arms behind his head and leaning against the headboard. "What did you think I was going to do, Stephanie? Invite Barbie in here, act surprised to find you and then…well, I'll let your imagination go where it wants."

"Gross, you're disgusting," Stephanie told him, not even sure where the anger was coming from. It might be from the sickly sweet words he told Barbie that made her want to puke. Yes, she decided, it was from that. "Like I would want anything to do with her...or you for that matter."

"Seems like you did, what with trying to bribe your way in here." Stephanie knew Chris had her where he wanted her, but she didn't want to give in so easily. "I mean, that seems to say you really, really wanted to be inside my…room."

"I wanted to talk to you," she countered, but she knew before she even said it that it sounded flimsy.

"You could have just, oh, I don't know, asked me if we could talk," Chris told her, "but you, Stephanie, you like the hard way, don't you? You like to do things in your own time, under your own rules. I know you, I know what you like, I know how you think, and in fact, I think I know you better than you know yourself sometimes."

"Oh come off it, Jericho," she shook her head, "now you're just talking out of your ass. I'm going. I don't have time for this shit. I don't have time to deal with you either, so why don't you go running back to that little whore, Barbie, and fuck her brains out like I know you want to."

She wasn't even sure what he wanted to do, but she was angry that he could read her. She kept herself so closely guarded so to be called out like she was infuriated her. She turned to walk out of the room, but before she could make it to the door, Chris scrambled out of bed to get in front of her. She stopped dead in her tracks, hoping to bore two holes into his face so he'd leave her the hell alone. Of course, this was real life, so she was not afforded such super powers.

"She's too easy," Chris chuckled. "If I told her to get naked right this second, she'd be undressed before I could blink. She's more than willing to get down on her knees."

"What? Know from experience?" Stephanie asked sarcastically.

"Do you really think…" he stepped closer to her, his eyes keeping contact with hers, "that I would let that girl's mouth anywhere near any part of my body where I don't have teeth?"

"How should I know what you do with your time?" Stephanie shrugged. "I mean, who knows, you could want to fuck her right now."

"Like I said, too easy. I've gone down the easy route before, and there's never any challenge. Sure, it's nice to know you can get a girl's panties to drop without a second glance, but there's no challenge in it. There's no fight to them," he was still walking closer to her. She stood her ground, not intimidated by this man. If anything, this man should be intimidated by her.

"Oh come on, do you mean to tell me you haven't taken advantage of some girls along the way?" she scoffed, not believing he hadn't used his looks to his advantage at some point. She rolled her eyes, and when they focused again, he was now in front of her.

"Oh, I'm not going to say that, never did really, but those aren't the girls you do anything with. Those are the kind of girls you kiss in the morning, thank for a good night, and then leave behind for good. Those are not the type of girls who make you think, who make you fight for what you want, who think they can get one over on you when they really can't. I like those kinds of girls, you've got to work for it, but then you can make them work for you."

His eyes raked over her entire body, and she could feel him undressing her with his eyes. She could see where this was leading and some of her anger dissipated, but only a little. She was still sore about him trying to make her look like an idiot, but when his eyes paused on her cleavage, practically devouring them with his cool blue eyes, his tongue just peeking out the side of his mouth while he licked his lips, she could hardly think about her anger.

"Really? And how would you make _them_ work for you?" she asked him, putting that aforementioned challenge into the equation.

"By having them wait in your hotel room in what I suspect is something very, very sexy," he told her, now right in front of her. He leaned in until his lips were just a breath away from her own, her hair fluttering back softly with every exhalation of his breath. She trained her eyes on his lips, and she expected the kiss. She wanted the kiss, and just when she thought he was going to lean in and kiss her, he pulled back, "Do you know anyone like that?"

"Shut up," she hissed softly.

"And do what?"

"Just shut up," she repeated herself.

"I don't think you want me to shut up. You act like I haven't know what you're doing, like I haven't known from the very beginning. Oh, you tried to play it off like you were some coy, angelic girl, but I knew better. I knew it was all just an act. What do you take me for, Stephanie? Then the Barbie stuff, oh, it was inspired, I tell you, but I think I got under your skin."

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Stephanie asked. "But if I don't want anything from you, then you look like the idiot."

"I don't think I look like an idiot, but I'd like to see what you look like," he told her. "I think the game has run its course, don't you think? I mean, I think we can both agree that I won."

"Won, you didn't win, you're the one who wants me and I can be the one who withholds what you want."

"No you won't, you wouldn't have come here if you wanted to withhold anything. You wouldn't have been waiting on my bed if you weren't planning something in that pretty, little head of yours."

"Pretty?" she said, biting her lip ever so softly. She might be a conniving bitch, but nobody could ever turn down being called pretty. It was flattering, no matter who it came from.

"You know you're pretty, don't act like that's not a compliment you've gotten a million times," he chastised her. He winked at her though, and she felt herself melt just a tiny bit, but only a tiny bit because she wasn't going to give in so easily.

She would have stuck with that if Chris's hand didn't come up to her shoulder and start brushing her hair out of the way. He slowly nudged at her top, letting it slide across her shoulder, the fabric bunching at the precipice between her shoulder and her arm, until the fabric could no longer hold and fell off her shoulder, revealing her dark blue bra strap.

"A girl can never get enough compliments," she told him, not bothering to push her shirt back up.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Chris asked, letting his fingers tug under the bra strap. "I wonder where this leads…I mean, I could look, if someone is willing to give up. All you have to do is say the word, Steph."

"You say the word," she told him, now taking the time to push away his hand and push her shirt up.

"I don't think I am," he told her, "but I'm sure that we have some time. I could show you the finer points of what you're missing out on. Yet…where would be the fun in giving you the reward before you've really done anything to earn it."

"You're a goddamn tease, you know that."

"Says the woman who…oh, I don't know, tried to feel me up by accident as you tried to say you were," Chris scoffed. "Get off it, Stephanie, you are just as culpable as I am. I mean, we even both left people in our wake. I think poor Mike is still crying over a beer from what you did to him."

Stephanie let out a grunt, "He couldn't keep up with me."

"I could," Chris said, now going to the hem of her blouse and pulling it up slightly, his left hand letting go of the fabric to run across her soft stomach, his index finger circling around her belly button. She felt a shudder go through her as he caressed her suddenly sensitive skin.

"You have Barbie still," she reminded him.

"Minor detail," he shrugged her off. "She's nothing to me, but you could be something. You think I haven't noticed you before this, Steph? You've got to be kidding me if you think I haven't noticed you. You didn't need to go through all this trouble for me. You could have just asked me to fuck you."

"Where's the fun in that?" Stephanie asked him. "You just said you liked a challenge, and doesn't that make me all the more worth it."

They both had silently, and mutually, given up the pretense that this was a game. They wanted one another, and they were going to have one another. Chris's hands lifted her top up and off, leaving her only in her bra. He stared down at her lasciviously, his hands skimming her stomach before coming up to test the weight of her breasts. His thumbs rolled over the dark lace that encapsulated her enhancements.

"Was this for me?" he asked as he ran his hands over the bra itself.

"I wasn't wearing them for Paul, that's for damn sure," she told him, watching as he appreciated her.

"I suppose if I do this," he started to unbutton her pants, "that I'd find something matching underneath?"

"Oh, I don't know, Chris, I think you'll just have to find that out yourself, I'm not one to give in so easily."

He unbuttoned the last button, letting the fly lie open as her pants dropped a few centimeters off her waist. He shifted his hands to her sides and smoothly brought his hands down, slipping them fingers first into her waistband, letting the fabric fall a little more, revealing the matching underwear, a pair of navy blue, lace cheeky style underwear. He raised and eyebrow at how it hugged her tightly like a second skin. He pulled back half a step to take in the full picture appreciatively. He obviously liked what he saw. He looked back up into her eyes and smirked that damned smirk of his.

"By the end of the night, I'm going to make sure you are."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone, just a little fair warning if you're not of age, this story is going to get M really fast so if you're too young, turn around now. Hope you enjoy! :)

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"Get on the bed."

Stephanie looked at him indignantly, crossing her arms over her breasts, which only served to push them up more, giving Chris an even clearer view of her cleavage. "You can't tell me what to do, Irvine. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Well, if you don't want to get on the bed, I'm sure I have other ways of making you do things," he told her, "so come on, be a good girl and get on the bed before I make you regret it."

She scoffed, noticing how his erection was pressing against his pants. She stepped out of her jeans and walked over to him, grabbing his crotch aggressively. He nearly groaned at the contact, but managed to swallow it at the last second. "Let's get one thing straight, I'm in charge here."

"I don't think so, but don't tempt me," Chris growled into her ear, leaning in close enough to tug her earlobe playfully.

"If you want me to take care of this," she started rubbing him through the fabric of his pants. Stephanie could feel a shudder resonate through his body and she smirked to himself. Guys could be so easy sometimes, "you'll have to tell me what you want me to do."

"Don't flatter yourself, Princess," he told her, "I will have you screaming and writhing underneath me soon enough."

"No, you won't," she pulled back. "You know, I'm a little bored right now. I think I'll just get dressed and go back to my room." She took a few steps backwards and gave a slight hand flourish towards his pants. "I'm sure you can take care of that yourself."

Chris looked at her murderously. "I warned you, McMahon."

Suddenly Chris was bum-rushing her, stalking towards her like a feral cat circling its prey. Stephanie's eyes only had a moment to widen before her back solidly hit the wall behind her. She gasped, partly from the unexpected contact and partly because Chris's body was now flush against her, every part of him pressing into a part of hers. He dove for her neck, laving it with her tongue for a moment before he started sucking slowly on her skin, making the heat rise from her pores, her blood rushing in her ears as she gasped at the suddenly and unexpectedly intimate contact.

"Chris," she managed to moan out as his teeth gently came into play, scraping at the thin skin of her neck and it was like he was gently stripping away all of her senses. She grasped for his hair, pulling him into her body, pulling at his hair, threading through the short, blond locks as her head threw itself back, revealing more of her neck to him. He pulled away and ran his tongue along her jaw, the heat of his tongue immediately replaced by the cool air hitting the sticky trail he left behind.

His hands slid up her thighs, the contact firm and so very masculine. Chris was making Stephanie feel like such a woman, if that were even possible. She couldn't put into words what he was making her feel at this very moment. It was beyond anything she'd ever felt before. Paul had always been a little sloppy, but Chris was anything but. His hands found the bottom of her ass and lifted her up easily, as if she weighed nothing.

Stephanie wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed against her tighter holding her against the wall as his hands framed her face, pulling away to look at her face. Her face was a fetching shade of pink, her lips swollen and dark, while her hair was mussed and so unlike her usual look. She was beautiful. He ground against her once, pressing his erection against the juncture between her thighs. She gasped as she felt how hard he was, and she could practically feel what it would be like for him to be inside her.

She could feel her panties sticking to her body from how wet she was, and with the way he was rubbing against her, he must have felt it through his pants as well. He kept grinding into her as he kissed her so possessively she wasn't sure she could ever belong to another man ever again. It was like he was pressing his name against her lips so hard that if she ever kissed another man in her life, he would simply know Chris had been there first.

"You're so wet," he mumbled against her lips. "Just for me too, huh? You're so wet, just for me. You were so transparent, Stephanie."

"Shut up," she countered, "I doubt that hard-on you've got going is all for Barbie, right?"

"You're so much fucking hotter than that stupid, little whore," he spat out, "she's nothing compared to you."

She kissed his neck to bite back the scream as Chris's latest thrust pressed deliciously against the little epicenter of nerves that caused pleasure to course through her entire body. "And don't ever forget that," she threatened. "Don't you ever even look at that little slut again. You're _mine_."

"Is that so?" he slowed his pelvic movements to stare at her straight in the face. She was flushed and her lungs seemed to be crying for steady breath. He bumped his crotch against hers once. "What makes you think that? I was just planning on fucking you, I never said I wanted anything more."

"Don't care what the fuck you want," Stephanie told him, her eyes boring into his as he lifted one of his eyebrows in near amusement.

"So after this, we're going to what? Be boyfriend and girlfriend? Hold hands? Kiss in public? Go out on romantic dinners? Strolls down the beach? Give each other cheesy gifts? Me bringing you flowers unexpectedly?" He said it jokingly, but he wasn't expecting the answer he actually received.

"Yes," she told him, ducking her head ever so slightly, and if Chris didn't know any better, he might think she was actually blushing. Who knew that underneath that bitchy, in charge exterior there was someone who liked romantic gestures and normalcy?

"Can I bring you the flowers tomorrow?" he asked. "I think I gave Barbie some…she ate it up, not literally at least, although, with her brains, she might have thought they were a snack."

Stephanie buried her head against his neck, "You're such a jerk."

"Oh, like you've been such a paragon of virtue with Barbie," Chris told her, kissing her shoulder, almost innocently.

"Well, she deserved it," Stephanie said. Chris's right hand snuck in between them, cupping her through her panties. His middle finger ran up and down her slit and she gasped, the mood suddenly turning hotter again. "God, Chris, oh my God…"

"Knew I'd have you begging."

She gasped as he sunk his finger in her as far as it would go with her underwear still on. "This…is not…begging."

Chris didn't say anything, but swung them around as he carried her to the bed. Stephanie took the opportunity to start kissing him again. It was short-lived because before she could think, she was flying through the air and landing with a soft thud against the bed. She squealed as she landed, but was muffled as Chris came over her in a predatory fashion, like he was ready to devour her, and he might as well have been. Stephanie reached down and unhooked his belt, letting the straps swing as she unbuttoned his pants, sneaking her hand inside as she wrapped hers hand around him.

"Jesus Christ!" Chris gasped as her cool hand touched his heated skin. She smirked and started stroking him slowly, too slowly. It was nearly agonizing for him.

"I think you're on the verge of begging," she whispered to him.

"Not on your life," he told her, leaning down and sucking on her nipple through the fabric of her bra. Now it was Stephanie's turn to gasp in surprise. She'd never had anyone suck her like this and the feel of his mouth and the scratch of the lace was so enticing, and her nipples felt like they could cut glass, they were almost painful. She arched her back naturally, and Chris took the opportunity to unhook her bra behind her back. He nearly ripped it right in half when he pulled away to take it off. "Nicest set of tits money could buy," Chris told her with a wink.

"Fuck you."

"You will," he told her.

"You're way too cocky," she told him, squeezing his cock a little, which only served to make him laugh and kiss her neck.

"You'll find out just how much in a little while," he teased her as he closed her eyes. "Your hand is so good, but I don't think it's as pretty as your mouth."

Stephanie licked her lips and gently pushed Chris onto his back. Her breasts swayed enticingly and he leaned up to capture one in his mouth, suckling her skin a little then pulling away and smirking at her. She pushed him down again then stood up crawling to the edge of the bed before standing in front of him. She bit her lip a little before leaning forward to pull his pants off, throwing them behind her. She then crawled up his body, her wrists brushing against the bare skin of his thighs. She knelt up, her legs on either side of his legs, before reaching over and hooking her fingers into the waistband of his boxers. Chris just laid there, watching this beautiful woman kneeling in front of him looking like something out of ancient Greece.

"You know, you were pretty obvious with all the touching, so why don't you do what you've wanted to do all along?" Chris told her.

"Don't rush me, Jericho, things like this take time," she purred. "I don't know what kind of sluts you've been with in the past, but I take my time to do things right."

"Is that OCD part of your personality?" Chris asked her.

"Why don't you ask me if I'm a perfectionist _after _I rock your world?" Stephanie told him as she started stroking him. "You certainly don't want me to talk anymore, do you? I mean, I could talk all night, but I think there are better things I can do with my mouth."

"Prove it," Chris challenged her.

Stephanie licked her lips slightly, biting down on her bottom lip as she lowered her mouth to Chris, taking him into her mouth as Chris nearly bucked up into her. While her mouth was sometimes filled with biting words and quick wit, he was quickly finding out that was not her only talent. God, that was not her only talent. It was like every blowjob he'd ever gotten was nothing compared to what Stephanie was doing with her mouth right now.

At some point, he realized that if this was going to continue, he had to stop this right now. She was on the verge of making him beg, and he wasn't about give in _that_ easily. He liked teasing with her, it was fun, and it somehow made this even better. There was such a shortage of beautiful, smart, sexy women out there. At first he was flattered with Stephanie's attention, but when he really thought about her, about what was stirring between them, he became intrigued, and then, well, then he started to downright fall for her.

He pressed his hands against her shoulders and pushed her off of him. "What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"Enough about me," he told her, and she smirked, "get that look off your face."

"You're so close though," she told him as she took her hand and resumed with the stroking, her saliva making her movements slippery. "Don't you want me to finish you off? Don't you just want it, Chris?" Chris had to close his eyes and contemplate if this was worth it. Then he thought about getting off inside of her, and he was resolved to do just that. But first, he needed to return the favor.

"I think it's your turn, Stephanie."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and what not. I really, really like this chapter for some reason, I'm not entirely sure, but I like it, so I hope you like it too. And if you do, reviews are appreciated. :)

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"I'd rather just finish you off."

"Not going to happen, McMahon," Chris pushed her onto her back and her hair fanned around her face. He actually had to stop for a moment to take her in. He hadn't really been with anyone since his wife, not that he would tell anyone that. He had a reputation, he knew, a pretty bad one from what he'd heard, but like most things in the wrestling business, it was overblown.

Stephanie in his bed though, there was something so serene about her that took his breath away. He hadn't been with a woman that wasn't Jessica in years, and here he had one of the sexiest women he'd ever laid eyes on staring up at him with nervous yet giddy anticipation. She bit her lip, and he wanted nothing more than to take that lip between his teeth and tug her mouth towards his until they melted together into a furious kiss.

"What are you waiting for, Chris, the sky to turn yellow?" Stephanie asked him, raising her eyebrow as she played with the edge of her panties, letting them drop a little so they exposed her pelvic bone.

Chris smirked at her, "Can't stand the waiting?"

"Well, if you're just going to kneel there all night, I'm sure I can find some other willing guy to take your place," she challenged, "if you think I'm going to lie here and beg you for it, you've got another thing coming."

"You just wait," he told her, leaning down so he could kiss her jaw. He was going to take his time with her, do things to her skin that would have her begging in no time.

When he'd first gleaned onto Stephanie's game, he hadn't wanted to play. Sure, she was beautiful, smart, powerful, sexy, but he didn't want to be someone's game. Her admiration was enough for him. She made it difficult not to want her though because she was not as subtle as she believed herself to be. Everything with Stephanie was somehow over-the-top and this was no exception. Her seduction had been like a missile attack.

The game had been fun though, just to see her reactions. The way she became livid every time Barbie was around her made Chris want to throw her against something and fuck her right there. There was something so sexy about her anger, her indignation at not being the first choice. But there was only so far games could go, and he was ready to see this one finished. The only problem was the aftermath. He never really gave thought to the aftermath.

In all their fun, he never thought about what Stephanie might actually want out of this. For a while, actually, up until about ten minutes ago, he'd thought she just wanted his body. Fuck buddies, he could live with that, it might actually work for him because part of him was still smarting from the end of his marriage. But then she said she wanted the normalcy, and he didn't have the time or the focus to really think about what that meant.

When they woke up tomorrow (because he was _not_ going to let her leave tonight), what were they going to do, to _be_? He had no clue, and he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted, but if he was going to try again with anyone, if he was going to really let himself be with anyone else, why not someone who set his bones on fire? Why not Stephanie?

He heard her groan as he lightly nipped at her neck and realized he'd lost focus of what was actually going on right now, and getting back into the action, he kissed his way across her chest, pressing his lips to the curves of her breasts, not using his tongue like earlier, but just pressing his lips against her soft, pliant skin. He moved his head in between them, running his upper row of teeth against her.

He felt Stephanie's hands on top of his head, trying to push him lower and he chuckled, "Impatient are we?" he asked her, popping his head up to look at her face. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lip again. He couldn't resist this time and he smoothly glided up her body and grabbed that bottom lip between his teeth, gently tugging before he kissed her. When he pulled away, he repeated his question.

"No," she said, but it was unconvincing.

"If you want it, you just have to ask for it," he baited her, hoping she would just cave, but he knew, deep down, that Stephanie was not going to cave that easily, or at all really. This was Stephanie, she of the iron willed McMahons. Backing down was not part of her repertoire.

"Never, get back to work!"

"If this is work, I don't think I want to know what you do for play," he pressed a chaste, closed mouth kiss on her lips before she could answer and he could hear her grumble against his lips. When he pulled away, he gave her a dazzling smile and any anger she may have had at him disappeared as she actually smiled shyly back. This woman absolutely threw him for a loop.

He moved backwards and kissed her stomach, which made her laugh, "Stop," she told him, "I'm ticklish!"

That wasn't something he expected, but Stephanie seemed full of surprises. He kissed her again just for good measure, and she giggled harder this time, trying to swat him away from her stomach. He winked as he moved lower. He kissed her through her panties, and this made her gasp, effectively cutting off any laughter that still lingered on her lips.

"Nothing funny now, huh?" Chris told her, his voice husky.

"Shut up," she told him, but it was not filled with venom. He laughed and grabbed the waistband of her underwear, pulling it down slowly, finally getting a glimpse of what he wanted most tonight. She was beautiful naked, but that came as no surprise. He threw her panties over his shoulder before grabbing one of her legs and kissing her ankle, then working his way up. He kept kissing her legs, getting close to where she was wettest, but never actually touching her there. Her thighs were slick and he licked them up, just getting a little taste of her, but knowing the best was yet to come. "You're not playing fair."

"Nothing about you is fair," he told her, kissing the inside of her thigh again.

"You're a jackass," she told him.

"I know, but one word, just one word would change all of that," he told her, and she looked at him questioningly. "You just have to say please, Steph."

"Like hell I do," Stephanie sat up and pushed at Chris's chest. "I don't sit back like Barbie and hope you'll kiss me, waiting and pining and getting all fluttery with butterflies. I take what I want."

"So take away," he told her, laying back as she ran her hands up and down his chest. She stared down at him, watching as he waited for her next move. He wasn't going to beg for it and neither was she, so there was nothing left but to just take what she wanted. She had no problem doing this. Chris arched his hips up into her and she gasped in surprise as his erection brushed against her. "Don't you want it? Isn't that what the game is about?"

"Yes," she told him huskily, reaching down to grasp him in her hand. He hissed as her fingers made contact with him. He was still so ready to let go, but he wasn't about to waste this opportunity. Stephanie might say she wanted the relationship attached with this act, but he could never be too sure with her.

Stephanie positioned herself over him, then let herself slide down a little bit, taking him inside her slowly. They both closed their eyes at the sensation, each one getting used to it. She was so wet that there wasn't much resistance and once she'd adjusted, she began to move down on him. She opened her eyes and locked them with his now open eyes. Neither one spoke a word. The game was lost and won for the both of them. They'd both won if it came down to it. There may not have been begging, but there was this.

And this was much better.

Stephanie kept slowly sliding down until she was fully seated on him. She didn't move for a few moments, just letting herself take it all in. But then Chris arched his hips again, trying to get inside deeper and Stephanie let herself start to move against him. She moved up and down, sometimes seating him in her and swiveling her hips around, trying to entice him. It wasn't a game, but if she could make him release first, it would be something of a victory for her. She would take that.

Chris seemed to know that this wasn't over and started meeting her downward movements with upward movements of his own, creating a hard rhythm that left them both struggling to keep up with the other. It was aggressive and firm, controlling and possessive. It was them, all rolled up into one singular moment. Chris couldn't handle just looking at her riding him anymore. He had to really become part of this.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist, sliding them to the edge of the bed, letting his legs fall to the floor. Stephanie wrapped her legs around his waist, as his hands moved to her ass, helping her ride him. He growled against her breasts, lavishing one with his tongue as she groaned and ran her hand through his hair, messing it up, but not caring. Sometimes she tugged on it, her fingernails digging into his scalp. Other times, she would grab a fistful of his hair and pull his head back so she could attack his lips. Chris just let her because there was something so hot about Stephanie taking charge.

"I'm so close," she whispered harshly into his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

"Me too," he told her, "come with me."

"God, yes," she said as she started to ride him harder.

Their movements became faster and more erratic and they both reached the precipice before letting themselves go completely. Chris moved his hands from her hips to hug her around the waist, staying inside of her as he rested his head against her chest, both of them catching their breath. He could hear her heart pounding, its quick pace matching his own. He felt her lips kiss the top of his head and she felt his lips curve up into a smile against her breasts.

"I won," he told her and she guffawed.

"How in God's name do you think you won?" she asked indignantly.

"You came first," he told her smugly, pulling away to smile up at her.

"Are you kidding me? You came first," Stephanie said, "that's the only reason I got off."

"Oh, I'm so sure," he told her, "you know you lost, admit it."

"I admit nothing," she laughed, her eyes shining with happiness, or at least that's what it looked like to him, and he liked seeing it. She leaned down and gave him a short kiss. They were well aware they were still connected, but neither one sought to break the connection just yet. They liked it here, together, intimate as they were. It would all end too soon anyways, so why not savor it for a few more moments.

"So you're spending the night, right?"

"Do I have a choice?" she asked, smirking at him, challenging him to dictate what came next. If he didn't now any better, he might say she was nervous about what came next, wanting him to tell her so she could react appropriately. Not one thought in his head screamed at him to make her leave.

"Nope, you don't have a choice, you're staying here with me, end of story," he told her, "what kind of guy would I be if I just sent you out on your ass? And what a fine ass it is I must say." He gave her butt a soft slap.

"So will you dump Barbie tomorrow?" Stephanie asked, looking down at him. Now that he got a good look at her, he saw how jealous she'd really been of the blonde that probably didn't know her left hand from her right hand.

"Who?" Chris shrugged.

Stephanie laughed and cupped his face in her hands. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

"Liked me? Is that where we're at now, you like me? I thought I was just a plaything for you."

"That was never the intention," Stephanie admitted. "I know you think it might have been, I know you probably think I was joking with all that romantic talk, but it was never my intention to make this a one-night stand, Chris."

"Oh," he said, actually surprised. A part of him had been surprised when she'd said it before, but now, this was not in the heat of the moment, this was back to reality time.

"Just oh? You don't have anything more to say to that?" she was about to get angry, but Chris tugged on her cute bottom lip, effectively cutting off her anger.

"It just means you're definitely staying the night."

"Okay…"

"And every night after that."


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: I finished a story, I finished a story! Yup, put this one down in the books as complete. Thank you SO much for all the support and everything. I never feel comfortable writing smut, but you guys always seem to enjoy it, so thanks for encouraging me through writing that I'm not entirely comfortable with, so I hope you enjoy this final chapter. Thanks again! :)

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Love.

It's such a simple looking word, just four letters, but inside those four letters lie everything, a future, fights, make-ups, moments where you feel so close and connected to someone that the entire world only exists in them, around them, and with them. It's looking at someone and knowing they will always brighten your day. It's having inside jokes and inside looks. It's powerful and all-consuming, and when you're in it, you never want to be out of it.

When she walked into the arenas on his arm, she couldn't help the smug looks she sent every female she came across. She may be in love, but that didn't mean she had a fucking personality change. She was still shrewd, smart, and wanted everything and anything to go her way. Just because the one thing she really wanted to go her way had, in fact, gone her way didn't change her ruthlessness. She thought it was the best thing about her. Chris did too.

"Get that fucking look off your face," Chris whispered in your ear, "before every woman here wants to claw your eyes out."

"Oh, and miss all the fun when they realize I get to fuck you every night, I think not," she said, turning to him ever so slightly so she could tug on his earlobe. "I would never give them the satisfaction."

"You take being my girlfriend way too seriously," he told her, but he pulled her body closer, and she knew he got off on showing her off too. It wasn't for her status either, well, maybe a little, and she didn't blame him. If he wanted to flaunt that he was with the boss's daughter, who was she to deny him that?

"And you don't do the same?"

"I get jealous, sue me," he joked because he didn't get jealous, neither did she, really. Sure, Chris would tell you that she'd been jealous of Barbie, but she was more irritated by the stupid blonde than anything else. At least that had been taken care of swiftly and immediately.

_Stephanie licked her lips as she tasted her new boyfriend again. He was musky and delicious and Chris was nearly drooling at the sight. She kissed him deeply, swirling her tongue and his flavor around his mouth, sweeping in to give him a taste. Chris groaned against her mouth as the phone in his hand rang. Stephanie could hear the phone pick up and Barbie's eager voice on the other end._

"_Chris, is that you?" Barbie said. "Oh my God, I didn't expect to hear from you this morning, it's like a really good cup of coffee!"_

"_Barbie, whatever the hell this thing is between us, it's over, it meant nothing to me, you mean nothing to me, sorry, sweets, but this little play-time is over," he told her, and Stephanie was turned on by his harshness. She liked it, maybe because it meant Barbie really was nothing to him, but maybe because she liked knowing that he was so into her he was willing to act like such a jerk._

"_But—but Chris, I don't understand," Barbie whimpered, actually fucking whimpered like a child and Chris rolled his eyes. Stephanie ran her hands up his stomach and to his shoulders, tweaking his nipples along the way. She leaned down and started kissing his jaw, letting her tongue graze his stubble every now and then._

"_I don't want you," Chris told her, "is that too difficult for you to understand? I'm sorry, Barbie, but I need a woman with some substance, do you know what that means?"_

"_Um, I don't know, like, more weight?"_

_Stephanie, who could hear the conversation, giggled against Chris's skin. How he put up with her for so long, even while stringing her along, she had no clue. Five minutes with Barbie, and Stephanie wanted to throw up. "No, Barbie, that's not what I mean," Chris told her, reaching out to caress the side of Stephanie's breast. "What I mean is I need someone who knows what I just meant, and it's not you, it'll never be you, go find yourself another guy, see ya!"_

That was that.

Barbie was stunned when she found out about Stephanie and Chris, and Stephanie wished she could care, really she did, but she didn't, so she simply walked past Barbie that first time with a shrug and a hair toss, leaving the young, naïve, and frankly…stupid girl in her wake. Someone told her that Barbie cried, wondering why her best friend would do that to her. Stephanie merely laughed at the thought of Barbie being her best friend.

That didn't stop Barbie from eventually confronting her though.

"_Stephanie, how could you do this to me? I thought you knew how much I liked Chris, how much he liked me!" Barbie's lip quivered, and Stephanie held her eyes from rolling right out of her head. She could not deal with this simpering idiot anymore. The game was over, the victors had emerged, and the collateral damage was coming to her, crying like a baby._

"_Do what to you? Barbie, if I remember correctly, it was you who thought that we were best friends, not me," Stephanie told her. "I tried to be nice to you, but here's the thing, Chris needs a woman. He needs someone to keep up with him, and you can't do that."_

"_But…he was nice to me!"_

"_He's nice to me too," Stephanie told her, her smirk growing ever brighter as she gazed at the confused blonde. "We're not friends, Barbie, not when we liked the same guy. I merely showed Chris what he was missing, you can't hate me for that, now can you?"_

"_Um…I guess not," Barbie admitted, and Stephanie wanted to laugh. This girl, this girl who had been used in a pawn to two people's sick, twisted game of lust was actually coming around to see it from her perspective. Barbie had always been a dim bulb, but this might take the cake. Stephanie might get out of this conversation with Barbie thinking it was actually the _right_ thing for Chris to be with Stephanie._

"_See, we both want what's best for Chris, don't we?" Stephanie asked her._

"_I always wanted that."_

"_And I'm that person, Barbie, you tried, I'll give you that. You really tried very, very hard, you deserve a gold star for that, a gold star for trying your hardest, but you see why you couldn't win, right? You see why I am better for him, right?"_

"_Because…well, you said because you can keep up with him?" Barbie asked, gazing blankly at Stephanie as she tried to ascertain the meaning of it all._

"_Yes, I can keep up with him, he needs to be mentally stimulated," Stephanie said, muttering under her breath that he needed to be physically stimulated too, but she had no problem fulfilling that need for him. _

"_I'm not dumb," Barbie pouted._

"_Oh, Barbie," Stephanie said, but didn't actually respond. "There's a guy out there for you, he's probably looking for you right now, and hey, if you're in here with me, you're missing him!"_

"_I don't want to miss him!" Barbie said. "You're right, thanks, Stephanie!"_

"_You're welcome," Stephanie watched as Barbie left then mumbled to herself, "God, what an idiot."_

Barbie actually told them on a regular basis how cute they were.

Stephanie may not have won the game with Chris, but she was certainly winning in every other game that counted. Everyone thought they made such a striking couple, and she knew Chris loved that as much as she did. The sex was great, the relationship was great, and it finally got Paul off her back. All of his intentions towards her seemed to fade the moment he saw her with Chris. Okay, that wasn't quite true, but at least it gave her the opportunity to get him off her back.

"_Stephanie."_

_Stephanie rolled her eyes and didn't even bite back the groan. She turned on her heel and stared at her ex-husband. "Paul, our storyline is over now, there's no reason for you to even so much as look at me, let alone talk to me."_

"_I heard you're with Chris Irvine."_

"_You're correct," Stephanie told him, "what's it to you?"_

"_That guy is a jerk, Stephanie, did you even hear what he did to Barbie? He was practically two-timing her. I heard he was with some other chick when he broke up with her, is that really the kind of guy you want to be with?" Paul was actually trying to make Chris out to be a bad guy, and he thought that would work with her._

"_Newsflash, Paul," Stephanie told him, taking a step closer to him, "the girl he was with, actually, no, the _woman_ he was with, that woman was me. Yes, me, he dumped her for me, if you can call it a dumping because they were barely dating in the first place."_

"_You…"_

"_Yeah, he turned his entire world upside down for me. And it was something I wanted all along. I've told you time and time again it was over with us, but you refused to believe me. You refused to even so much as acknowledge what I was saying—"_

"_Because I still love you."_

_Stephanie grabbed the bridge of her nose and put some pressure on it to stop the burgeoning headache. "Paul, let me make this as clear as it's going to get. I do not want you. I do not want to be with you, I do not want to be married to you, I do not want a storyline with you. I divorced you for a reason, so please, do me a favor and get a life, and I'm not even saying that sarcastically. I'm saying that seriously and with every ounce of care I might have had for you. Please, just do us both a favor and move on."_

"_So you can move on with Chris?"_

"_I already have, Paul, I already have."_

After that conversation, he at least had the decency to stop talking to her. It was for the best. In fact, everything in her life was going for the best, and she couldn't say she had any complaints. She was a winner, and she'd won, how could anything get better than that. They finally reached her office, wherein Chris was going to drop her off before he headed to the men's locker room. She always offered to share, but Chris, being Chris, said that while he liked some of the perks, he wasn't about to have the guys think he was the next Paul. She respected him for that.

"Until later?" Stephanie asked.

"I'm sure I'll find some reason to fuck you before the night is over," Chris leaned down and kissed her. He pulled back a smidgen, but still kept their lips connected by the barest of touches. "I usually do, don't I?"

"You do not win all the time, Chris," Stephanie told him playfully.

"Oh, I think I'll win tonight," he told her, pulling back fully now so she could look and get lost in his eyes. "I definitely think I'll win tonight."

"I'd like to see you try," she responded, looking both ways into the nearly empty hallway before she reached out and rubbed her hand over the front of his jeans. She could tell he was already semi-hard, and she kind of wanted to send him off with a little something to remember him by. If they weren't in the hallway, she wouldn't hesitate to reach her hands into his pants and give him a handjob right now. But being where they were, and with Stephanie not _really _being into voyeurism, she kept it to a swift brush against his crotch.

He didn't say anything, just smirked and kissed her again before turning on his heel and walking off towards the men's locker room. Stephanie laughed softly to herself before turning to open her office door. She opened it, reaching out to feel for a light switch. When she found it, she turned it on and gasped. The entire room was covered in flowers of every kind. She couldn't even ascertain what some of them were, looking exotic, and like nothing she'd ever seen before. She was about to wonder what was going on when she remembered.

"_Me bringing you flowers unexpectedly?"_

"_Yes."_

He wasn't just a good fuck.

She threw her stuff down and grabbed the doorknob, ripping the door open and just about to tear off towards the men's locker room when she saw her boyfriend leaning against the wall, looking like he owned the world. She grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and started dragging him towards her office.

"Get your ass in here," she told him, not even caring if anyone was around. Chris grinned widely at her.

"Told you I was going to win."

THE END


End file.
